Tree of Destiny

1

In Mia's backyard, there is a tree. A magical tree. A different tree. A tall tree with flowers with petals that contain bits of the sun. It is the Tree of Destiny. 

Every year on their 12th birthday, the person got to go to the Tree at midnight, and receive a gift, or a talent. Mia's mother, her grandmother, her great-grandmother, and all her ancestors all the way to the beginning of the Tree's life had gotten a gift. 

Her mother had gotten the talent of cooking and had become a great baker, the smell of her small delights tempting people miles away.

Her grandmother had gotten the gift of kindness and charity, and she was able to give orphans homes, save baby kittens from being put down, and she was able to stop some people from cutting down the forest with her kind flattery. Her power lied within words and actions, a gentle push from her heart that set her on the right path. 

Soon, it would be Mia's 12th birthday, and soon, she would get a talent that could change the world, like her Mum's cooking, or her grandmother's kindness.

Mia thought about this as she walked down the street to her school, Black Canyon Middle School. Her high ponytail swung back and forth as her thoughts turned to her talent or gift. Will I be a great artist? Or a person with an insanely smart brain? Mia wondered. Sometimes your gift or talent reflected in your lifestyle or your hobby. Sometimes it was something you didn't even know about. 

Mia wore a light blue T-shirt and black leggings. She had big brown eyes and tan skin. Her back-pack on her back was weighed down with all her books she loved to read. Mia was a bookworm. She loved to read and write. She just wished she could become a writer one day.

Maybe I will be a famous author. That would be a dream come true!

But usually, someone's talent they got would become part of their job. If Mia didn't get to be an author, she wouldn't get to do the things she loved.

But if a person in the family missed the Tree of Destiny gifting, then they would be cursed for life. Mia had to accept whatever she got.