I marvel at trees and their ability to grow and adapt to changing conditions. The more they have twisted, the better the stories they tell. I thought it most fitting to cast these beauties as the muse for this blog’s initial poem.
I went hiking on a windswept day in the fall The leaves rustled overhead and crinkled underfoot Trees spit their seed pods all across the ground I picked one up and marveled at what I had found It was big and round and prickly you see I soon discovered it was left by a Sycamore tree In my sack, it dropped for the trip back Then to the freezer for a pretend winter's nap I eventually planted the seeds in moist, fertile soil and provided every element needed to grow Soon they did, too many in fact I thinned out the shoots and put them all back The next few weeks saw more disappear Some with too much water or poor roots, I fear Many fell but the strong soldiered on Until I was left with a valiant and woody throng Within a couple of months, these brawny lads moved outdoors where they stretched and reached for that glorious sun Their lives seemed limitless; they started to get carried away Until our dog snuffed them out like Armageddon day Those trees were gone but more seeds did remain I started all over and planted them again That tree now stands proud and tall for all to see as he avoided the pooch's mouth and grew into a wily lad A testament of patience and overcoming for those who know
Author’s Note
I think about that set of events each time I look at that wonderful tree growing in my yard. My Sycamore now stands over 7 feet tall and is growing straight and true. I nurtured all of those trees from the time I picked up that seed pod on that fall day in Clifton Gorge. The pod spent an emulated winter in the freezer and then into the soil for months of meticulous care. Months of patient work blew up in 5 minutes in the mouth of our retriever. I never saw that coming.
That tree had many brothers and sisters in the seed pod. Hundreds of other pods were strewn across the ground where I surreptitiously picked mine up. Of all those seeds, he could be the lone survivor. Several of the survivors of the attack likely could have survived, but I decided they would be too disfigured or scarred to grow to their full potential. I wonder what would have happened if I had kept one or two of the less badly damaged trees. Would they have died anyway or could they have persevered and overcome?
Our Human Lives
The story prods me to reflect on my own life as well as the lives of those around me. So many times, we start things with grand visions or the highest of expectation. Soon enough, life intervenes and our plans get thinned out or eaten up. Sometimes, we do it to ourselves, while other times, the circumstances tear into us and leave us in shambles. Either way, we realize that our days of reaching and stretching have been cut short.
We may choose to keep going and try to make it hobbling to the finish line with a broken or missing limb. Other times, we decide to scrap it and start completely fresh. Either way, it’s a point-in-time decision we make and we focus on making it work. Our decision creates a new path forward. How you reflect back at that moment will be based, at least partly, on the challenges presented by the new path.
It’s impossible to know what would have happened by making a different decision. It doesn’t hurt to think about it, but you cannot change it. If it helps you learn for future decisions, it could be well-spent time. If that decision gets you stuck in a rut, you may want to focus on moving forward. One thing is for sure, you will always have the memories of the challenge and, hopefully, a reminder to reflect upon as you continue to journey along the new path.
