Our hands ran over indentations in the bark where moss had begun to foam as if the core of the redwood was filled of gooey green matter. I placed my palms on either side of the trunk to create a circuit between me and the Earth, pressing firmly to see what may happen.
We wondered aloud as we passed under the canopy, "I wonder how old this one is?" "and what about this one?" We sunk into the dirt to inspect pinecones and dipped our fingers into a cool, pristine trickle of water. We gathered mud between the grooves of our shoes and underneath our fingernails.
Our questions went unanswered...how old are the trees?
From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow - Aeschylus
I love the imagery of planting seeds: in thought, action, in relationships, careers, friendships, aspirations. These seeds are then sowed, watered and grown as we develop and nurture these parts of ourselves. What I appreciate about this Aeschylus quote is the possibility of "may." Not all seeds sprout, and perhaps we don't know or control which ones ultimately do. We may water our career more than our relationship, only to have overhydrated a succulent. What part of this is under our control? Which do we leave in a dark corner only to later notice a budding new flower? Have we afforded ourselves the opportunity to truly grow this mighty tree? Or are the seed still left in a package in the junk drawer?
And then there are those other seeds...seeds of doubt or worry. It is possible that these, too, may mount and loom long over us like the weeping trees of the south.
It is our responsibility to manage these seeds we plant, nurture and wonder over. And in time: stand beneath them, place our palms to them and lean in.
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