I love trees…I always have…there’s just something about them…
Traditionally…I’ve been a Spring and Fall girl…loving the leaves when they are tiny green shoots…and again…when they are in all of their colored glory…
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| One of my favorite neighborhood trees. |
But…lately…I’ve been appreciating the trees themselves…winter trees…without their finery…
When I focus on the tree…on the shape…on the bark…on its innate beauty…on its foibles…undistracted by the leaves…it’s a totally different experience…
Bertha tells me that’s how I’ve been with people…my focus has been on their leaves…their clothes…their jobs…their families…their circumstances…that I haven’t seen who they truly are…she says that’s why…I felt that I had little in common with them…like I didn’t really fit in…
But…now...looking beyond the leaves…to the trunks…and the bark…I am learning…I’m not unique…I’m not the only one with insecurities…who wants to be loved…to be heard…to be known…to be understood…
Unlike a tree…it’s easy for me to hide my shape…my bark…my innate beauty…my foibles…nature doesn’t strip me of my leaves for four months out of every year…
Exposing myself as I truly am…is a daily choice…part of living my truth…
There is something quiet and restful about a tree without leaves…something unpretentious…proud…strong…patient…honest…all the things I strive to be…
Jane
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI too love winter.
Betty,
ReplyDeleteI just wish it could be a little warmer...geez...I'm picky! Thanks!
How beautiful. I've never compared the two, but so much we can learn from the simple things in life. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Belinda. It seems I learn the most from the simple things...they just seem to make the harder concepts make sense...
ReplyDeleteI was crushed today...I drove by the tree in the picture...actually...I drove by its stump...seems it has been cut down...I'm so glad I have pictures of it!