The Worry Tree

“If worries weigh you down, find somewhere to hang them up”.

The Worry Tree Story

Marianne Musgrove

A carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse has just finished a rough day on the job. A flat tyre made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw broke and now his ancient truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was covered in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me so I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. ‘Oh, that’s my worry tree,’ he replied. ‘I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, my worries don’t belong at home with my wife and the children. So, I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.’ “Funny thing is” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

About Marianne Musgrove
Author and Worry Workshop

I come from a family of storytellers. My grandma used to give dramatic public poetry recitals and make the audience cry. I also had a string of excellent teachers who inspired me to write and write and write. In my late twenties, I spent an afternoon reading back over my old diaries. I came across an entry I’d written when I was sixteen: ‘I think I’d like to write a book,’ it said. Not long after I read this, the opening chapter of The Worry Tree came to me.