Those who know me are aware that I have been torn between two paths in my life – two great passions, and thus far I have done both. Now as one appears it may be ending and uncertainty is the dominant force of the day…sitting on my deck, coffee in hand and looking at the forest which surrounds me there is a very calming peace made available by this – by the life of trees.
While many will go to a park and sit on a bench, great comfort can be found in sitting against a tree. There is tremendous energy which is reciprocated by our environment when we act in way which shows we appreciate its beauty. As it is with nature, so it is with human interaction. I recently saw on a friend’s Facebook wall something to the effect of “Whatever you give you a woman, she will make it greater… she will multiply and increase what she is offered.” So the life of trees that follows is not simply about trees, it is about each of us. It is about our journey and reaching towards the sky no matter what hand we are dealt.
A tree reaches for heavens exactly as it is. It does this its entire life until finally it concedes to gravity providing its body back to the earth so that another tree may reach for the heavens in its place.
It reaches regardless of whether it is lush and full of life, whether it is thirsty or has all the nourishment it needs or whether it is it has been weakened by the effects of time. It will commit to this cause no matter where it is; no matter if it is forcefully removed from its environment and placed somewhere else. It rises in hostility and reaches greater heights in love (there is actual research suggesting this); it blooms whether in the forest where no one notices or on a city street where it is passed by millions each year – possibly also going unnoticed. Its beauty is in its strength and weakness, and showing either one as circumstances dictate. It rises despite not being appreciated, but just maybe, one day, someone will appreciate what it has done. One smile, one hug, one “thank-you” one long stare and a gasp as one person contemplates natural beauty. But, if that day never comes, a quest for the sky is fullfilling enough. By reaching for the heavens it is able to provide all the energy it can to others, because it is constantly renewed by its own pursuit.
It does not punish its environment for not supplying it with what it needs; rather it graciously accepts what is provided. If water is in short supply it does not later reject water out of spite, rather it accepts what little water may come so that it may inch into the heavens.
Its life is not about one path, but about embracing the path which it is placed on. A day may come where its purpose is no longer to reach for the sky but rather to provide shelter or heat to another living thing. It may become the ladder in which a child attempts to the use the branches at his own attempt for the sky.
In the fire and winds of life it stands tall. Its service is to its surroundings; in standing it provides beauty and renews the world around it; in falling it provides life to the next generation; and in between all this it allows the world around it to flourish. By servicing everything around it, it succeeds in every way in its own attempt for the heavens.
While the stars may never be reached, the world would cease to exist if it felt the journey was impossible. With each year that passes it inches closer; it is the march higher, the journey, the attempt which sustains and creates new life, not reaching the goal.
If a tree could tell us, and they actually do every day, it is all about standing tall in the storm of life and appreciating the days and years where we see we are slightly higher than we were before.
Cory Mitchell
~May you find the answers you seek and life you deserve.
Plant a tree, relationships, and nurture it with your company often. As it grows, so will you. Emulate the actions of it, and all will reach further into the heavens than if the journey was taken alone.
