My parents have this live oak tree in their front yard that’s been there for as long as I’ve been on this earth. I’ve walked past it probably millions of times from when I used to play in the yard as a kid to when I got my driver’s license and parked my first car in front of it for shade.

But since I moved out on my own, I really only walk past it on the weekends when I come for family dinner night.

Today when we arrived, I decided to let Izzie off her leash to explore the front lawn and do her business. I was standing there on the sidewalk, watching her sniff circles on the grass when my eyes drifted to the oak tree.

I was shocked at how different it looked. In my mind, I kept picturing it as a fairly young tree despite the numerous times I’ve walked past it over the years. But now it was three times the width I remember and it towered over the roof of the house.

Sometimes your mind can trick you into thinking everything is still the same if you’re not careful. Life can pass by you at the blink of an eye.