You can prune a tree back to its trunk and it will still live as...

You can prune a tree back to its trunk and it will still live as long as there is water and nutrients. It will grow new branhes and leaves, it may end up looking different but its will still live a flurrish, have you not seen one in action? Look what happens to a landscape a little after a bush fire..

here a link for you spirit..seems you have lost yours.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/text/pruning.html