Two days ago I awoke to this view from my window. We had experienced some pretty heavy winds, and if this was the only thing that happened,
I should be grateful. As I was reflecting on it, however, the old adage came to mind –
” Trees that don’t bend with the wind, won’t last the storm”
I began to think about the storms in my life and whether or not I have ‘bent’ with them. I began to think of the dangers of rigidity and seeing things only
in black or white. I began to reflect on where I see this in the world today, in relationships and in my own life.
I took this picture so that I can continue to learn from it.
a few last thoughts…
+ when the tree refuses to bend, it breaks leaving sharp edges –
it’s difficult to embrace sharp edges
+ it falls to the ground, no longer does it look upward,
soon it will only belong to the earth
+ It will not continue to grow. Its refusal to bend has caused it its life
+ this tree’s rigidity caused it to split – weakening the whole
+ storms pass. Had this tree been a bit more flexible,
it could have lived and stood up straight again when the storm was over.
Reflections on the Journey 
These are very wise thoughts, Andie. I’m sorry you lost your tree, though.
Me too Ruth Ann but it’s a small price to pay if I could only learn from it!
So very true. So very true. And worth hearing one more time.
Thanks Rich, thanks for stopping by
I guess if we are here, Andrea, it’s because we have bent. Now how much have we bent, how much of a beating have we received, how much breakage have we incurred… all this remains to be seen. But I have watched trees on the ground which start sprouting all along the trunk. As the gardener trims and fixes the broken limb of the tree, Godde healed whatever was broken in me… Nothing is ever lost 🙂
Oh dear Claire you are so right. We must stay connected and growth will happen. Yes, how we have bent – Godde heals. Just beautiful!