Cinzia, Ernesto a tree and a lot of love

Oct 25, 2018 | written by: People at Treedom

A truly lovely call. After the first fewembarrassing seconds during which we struggled tohear each other, we had a good laugh and cleared the air. Cinzia, who together with her husband Ernesto recently went to visit their tree, was kind enough to tell me all about it.
Cinzia’s voice is full of energy and enthusiasm, and she tells me that, if memory serves her right, their adventure began on the 10th of August 2018. While on holiday in Sicilyas guests of their friend Giuseppe, who lives in Messina, they all went to Belpasso, in the province of Catania. Their purpose was to see Cinzia and Ernesto’s Orange tree, which was planted by the Beppe Montana cooperative of Libera Terra (Free Earth), whose aim is to redevelop the lands confiscated from organized crime.
Cinzia tellsme several times, during our chat, how surprised she was by the kind availability of Treedom and Alfio Curcio, director of the cooperative, who in a few days helped organize the visit. "Alfio is a splendid and courageous man for everything he does for Sicily. He is truly a great person. Both my partner Ernesto and I were amazed by the passion that he puts into his work".
I ask her how she managed to find their tree. "It was easy, even though the area was very large, and our tree a little but important drop in a sea of virtue and beauty."We all had a lot of fun looking for the tree, as if we were on a treasure hunt with GPS coordinates."Seeing our tree for the first time was an indescribable emotion, and we promised ourselves to come back to see its first oranges. Bubu [the name Cinzia and Ernesto have given to their tree] is beautiful."
Just like an old friend would, shereveals: "Our story is special ... we are married, we have been together for 5 years, but the first two years we lived apart. I lived in Siena, he in Milan. For love, I left my job and moved to his city, to start a new life together."
Such a romantic story makes me think that it can be cappedoff only with one of our trees. She continues to speak with a grateful voice:"This Orange tree, besides the orange being a fruit that I love, is actually the symbol of our love. I really liked the message that Ernesto virtually etched on the tree: ‘our love as a vitamin, as its strength’, a romantic gift but in the meantime one that has helped others. Asupportive love."
I confess to her that I was moved listening to her experience. I knew I had to interview her, but I didn’t think I would get such a beautiful and sincere story.
I ask her one last question:“When did you receive the tree and why?” “I received the tree” she replied “by mail, on Valentine’s Day in 2014. I registered with Treedom and found it to be a very beautiful and original gift. I saw my tree firstly among the others, then I followed its story in Libera's nursery ... then I met the tree in real-life." She tells me that she agreed to have this interview because she would like for many others, as she and her husband did, to go and see their own tree, to realize what their little gesture helped generate. In fact, they went to find their own tree after reading the story of Sergio and Katia, who visited their own Orange tree in Sicily last year.
Thanking her for her availability, I hang up the phone still smiling,thinkingabout the whole Treedom team who workshard every dayhoping to inspire something just like this: an empathy towards the environment that engages everyone; the joy in plantingatree that turns into something larger: "It was great to see all these green trees ... of all kinds, all those who have planted should go see what they have contributed to".
Thanks to Ernesto who has decided to plant Bubu and to Cinzia whocares for it lovingly.

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