It wasn’t just a tree…. It’s proof we didn’t have the same vision

We were walking through Little Venice in Mykonos when I stopped to admire a tree that literally made me pause. It was this wild, beautiful mix of cactus and bougainvillea something I had never seen before. It looked magical to me. I thought it was stunning.

But instead of appreciating the moment with me, he got irritated.

“It’s just a f*cking tree, so what?”

And then rushed me: “Come on.”

Like I was wasting his time by being amazed.

That moment stuck with me. Because it wasn’t just the comment it was the energy behind it. He was genuinely bothered that I was impressed. Every time I found joy in something, he made sure to tear it down. Everything I thought was cool, beautiful, interesting, or meaningful? He needed to remind me it was basic, childish, or dumb.

It became a pattern. It was like… anything that made me happy annoyed him.

But the tree? That’s when it really clicked.

If you can’t recognize beauty in nature in something as pure and simple as a blooming tree then I promise you, you don’t recognize beauty in anything. Not in people. Not in peace. Not in moments.

You’re just… numb. Or bitter. Or both.

And I realized I was standing next to a man who couldn’t see me. Because if you can’t appreciate the things I find joy in, how can you ever fully appreciate me?

It wasn’t just a tree.

It was a reminder that I was with someone emotionally dull, bitter, and blind to beauty unless it served him somehow.

I deserve to be around people who notice what I notice. Who light up when I do. Who don’t roll their eyes when I stop to admire a tree, a sunset, a detail. Who don’t mock me for being soft or excited or in awe.

If that bothers you, you’re not my person….

SMH “it’s just a tree” that phrase will live in my head forever and honestly hurts my feelings, because this is not just a tree!!