WESLACO – It’s a tale of two stories CHANNEL 5 NEWS has brought you before. One involves a tree and the other, a small cross.

You’ve probably seen a green giant on the south side of Expressway 83 near Ware Road in McAllen.

You might remember last year, we placed a Christmas ornament on the tree. Soon after, lo and behold, others also came to bring in some holiday cheer.

But what a difference a year makes.

The ornament is almost bare of any color. Some are hardly recognizable. A once bright snowman now lies on the ground, and someone’s name remains visible.

Most have fallen to the ground battered by the wind, the rains, and other elements. When you search the ground, you can see what little is left of the cheery Christmas ornaments that once graced its branches.

New construction is closing in on the tree from both sides, but it continues to stand tall.

We don’t know how old it is, but apparently, someone else seems to like it. While everything around has been cleared, the tree proudly continues to reach up to the sky.

And remember that small wooden cross on the grounds of the La Joya Independent School District? Thousands of cars go by every day on Business Highway 83. Many are not even aware the cross is there.

Juan Jose Trevino, a district employee, said he’s been told the cross was placed there because someone likely died in a traffic accident.

He started working for the district 10 years ago, and the cross was already there.

“Yo le puse un hilo porque ya se habia caido un pedazo de la madera que esta atravesada,” he said.

Trevino said he tied a string around the cross in an attempt to save it. But the wood is old and delicate, to the point of it rotting away.

This week, the thread is gone and a small screw now holds the small cross more secure.

It’s still a cross full of mystery as no one seems to know the identity of the victim, male or female; young or old. But there is someone willing to take care of it.

“Pero siempre la hemos respetado a la crucita alli,” Trevino said.

Always showing respect for the little cross and honoring someone they never met. 

So, as we start the New Year, the giant tree in McAllen continues to salute the skyline, and in La Joya, the respect for that little cross has never stopped.