I'm staring at a big, old hackberry tree that fell down along our backyard fence line sometime recently. It probably happened during the heavy rainstorm we had a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not sure. All I know is that it's been down long enough for the leaves to start turning brown, but just barely.
It was at least forty feet tall, with two big trunks branching out from the main trunk, which is at least two feet in diameter. Amazing to think that no one noticed when it split right down the middle, with one trunk falling into our neighbor's yard and the other, larger one landing across our compost pit.
FALLEN TREE
Upon first noticing this downed giant, I'm awestruck, because it looks so much larger lying on its side than it did when standing up next to all the other trees nearby. Hard to imagine that something so huge could be wiped out in an instant, without warning. I also find myself wondering how the heck we can possibly dismantle and dispose of all this wood, without having to do a whole lot of hard physical labor or pay a bunch of money for someone else to do it for us. But then Zet points out that if we leave the tree right where it is, it could provide a perfect habitat for wildlife and make a nice addition to the backyard wildscape we've been creating since we moved here.
While contemplating our options and examining the tree more closely, it's apparent that it must have been rotting at the junction of those two trunks for years. It wasn't obvious from the outside, but the inside of the joint was all hollowed out. Looking at it from this angle, I can't help but wonder how many other trees on our property have a similar, potentially dangerous problem. What about that other hackberry, hanging over the living room? Or the loblolly pine and pecan tree extending over the dining room roof? Better check them closely as soon as possible...
LOOKING WITHIN
Knowing that the observable, outer realm is often a reflection of our inner dimensions, too, I find myself wondering: Is there some aspect of my life which is rotting from the inside out and begging for attention? But, then I shift my attention back to the broken tree stump, where a number of small hackberry trees have suddenly sprouted up in the space that was cleared when the older, larger tree fell. So now, the question becomes: What new aspects of my life are waiting to sprout?
Don't know about you, but it seems to me that while there are no easy answers to questions like these, it's important to ask them nonetheless, and trust that only good will come of the willingness to pay attention to clues as they arise. At least, those are my questions, and I'm sticking to them...
With gratitude and blessings,
Rudi
THANK YOU for holding the Circle in your heart by visualizing a generous flow of financial abundance. Thank you for supporting us as we continue our work of fostering a creative, inclusive approach to spirituality. We are deeply grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment