Day 10: Life is a Tree

Ever notice how life is a lot like a tree? It grounds itself deep in the earth, supported by the work of countless roots that can never be easily seen without digging up the entire tree. Like our families and those who influence us, support us and sustain us. Those who have come before us who unknowingly shaped our consciousness by their countless decisions passed down in the genetic code to help make us who we are and who we will become.

The trunk leaves the ground solid and strong and yearns for the sky, seeking the closest path to the light. Few branches leave the trunk low to the ground, much as in our childhood our choices were limited yet we had no care. The only thing that dominates our thoughts as children is reaching upward, reaching for the sky and the light and all that is to come, all we cannot perceive yet sense just beyond the horizon of our being.

As we enter into adulthood, we reach the first branches of our life and they are mighty ones with many additional branches in each direction. Their choices take us in many directions but the light is still somewhat obscured by the higher branches. We begin to catch glimpses of the sky and sun and we race ever more quickly toward the edges, the outskirts of our being, testing the strength of our trunk and the limits of our existence.

We enter middle age and find our branches growing shorter and fewer, yet the choices seem much more clear. We feel so much nearer the sky now and we can begin to make out the form of the sun quite well. We can look down at the ground and realize how high we've risen and it can be frightening at moments, especially as the wind begins to sway our trunk, grown now somewhat thinner. We begin to perceive the dangers we never believe on the lower branches. Still, the heights call and we must continue toward the light.

Toward the top of the tree, branches are very short and few, like our choices. But at those heights, the sky comes fully into view and the sun graces us with abundant life. The wind sways us, sometimes wildly, but we have such a marvelous view of all that is around us. We can see the entirety of our life stretching out below us and recognize the results of those many decisions. The climb can be weary, though, and we must content ourselves in ourselves recognizing it's far too difficult to climb back down the tree. Much easier to jump into the heavens.

Yet at every point, we are still that tree. Just something I was thinking about today.