Inspiration

I am finding a lot of inspiration recently in nature, specifically trees. I do this partially by spending a lot of time at a local botanic garden and I am loving the story behind it. The land had been mined for many years and it had been stripped of its beauty and life. I can relate to that. I have felt the same way. There is a plain, undeveloped field of the garden that is blocked off from public entry which has a sign that says the area is under transition and that they are working to create new attractions. That I can relate to also. Currently post-divorce and feeling my way through single motherhood in my 40s, I am also under transition. I am working out who I am in this new identity. I am determining what features of my life to focus energy on. What I am also realizing is that it is OK to be under transition. It is OK to take time to figure out what to do next and how to accomplish a new goal.

So let’s talk about trees. Have you ever really taken the time to think about trees? I know I had not until I began the separation process early in my divorce. Then something about trees and their strength spoke to me. I think it was partially the yoga I was doing during that period. And how much I did not like the tree pose because it involved stillness. I preferred more active poses as stillness and quiet were things I had struggled with for years. Slowly, my opinion changed and I began to find peace in trees. Not only for their beauty and strength, but for their “flaws”. Trees present some of the same outward issues that people get hung up on. The tree above looks complex if you think about it. It is pulled in too many different directions.

What I am getting at with my trees analogy is that despite having imperfections and diseases, these trees stand tall. They endure. They take the weather, whatever it throws at them, with grace and strength until they die. Even the ones with imperfections and diseases give everything they have to give to the other organisms and ecosystems around them. And I’m sure if they can they take great amusement in watching me fall all over the roots in my path.