The Simplicity of a Tree

Have you ever a moment to lie on the ground on a warm and windy day and listened to the wind talk to the trees and the trees talk back?  How about looked up from the bottom of a tree and wondered how long it took to get so big or how the branches decided to go where they did.  Maybe wondered about the history that tree had witnessed.  Kind of a deep thought.

To me, trees are glorious in their uniqueness, no two alike, each with their branches reaching out from different parts of their trunk, fingering out as if reaching for the sky.  Not only do they give life through the oxygen they produce but they also become homes for other species, both inside their greatness to things like squirrels and insects as well as in their arm-like branches to hold nests or other animals who stop by.

There are so many different types of trees too.  Those that grow beautiful leaves that turn different colors through the spring to fall seasons and cover the ground as winter approaches.  Others that do not grow leaves, instead producing needles and foliage that stays deep hues of green through out the year. Still others produce flowers and yummy fruits that are loved by man and beast alike.

Many trees survive fires, flood, droughts, extreme heat and cold and every year produce their beautiful leaves, flowers and fruits right on schedule.  Some even send their seeds off to grow new little trees wherever they land while others expand their network through their roots.  Each jungle and meadow and mountain housing so many different types of trees all living side by side in harmony.  So many different types that do so many different things, so unique yet alike.  Some even blend to become new species of trees, taking on the best of each to produce a new type that can withstand more.

Now, take a moment to think back on what you have just read.  What else can you think of that the word tree could be replaced by?  Humans are very similar.  Just like trees, we start from seeds, reaching for the sky as we age, each very unique in who we become, what we look like and what we produce.  Unlike trees, however, we are not rooted in one spot and we can move to different locations depending on what we desire.  We can create little humans if we choose, we get fruits from our labor, some blossom into beautiful people while others grow into thorns and cause pain.  Many give shelter to others, many weather horrendous storms and stand strong.  We live different lives even though we live in the same concrete jungle, each branching off in directions of our own choosing but all reaching for the sky.

The question you have to ask yourself is what kind of tree am I.