Trees

The other morning … way too early… way too cold… I was outside watching the sky grow lighter.

There is a tree in my back yard. A good tree. Strong tree. One my mother would have approved of as she was tree person. Going through her pictures, upon cleaning out her house, was an entire album of tree pictures. I know it sounds a tad nuts… but I kept it and it is oddly soothing to look through.  It shows nature at its strongest and its most vulnerable. I am glad I kept it.

Outside I looked at my tree… I could make out the trunk. Pretty much just the trunk. The limbs were hidden in the still night sky. I shut my eyes and tried to find my inner Zen. Zen missing, I opened my eyes and looked at my tree and saw bigger limbs coming off the tree. I watched the tree. It got lighter and limbs seemed to grow as I watched, no longer the same color at the night sky… taking on depth. (ok at one point I thought wow that really looks 3-D and my next thought was “need to limit screen time”) As I continued to watch the tree… quietly and focused I started to be able to see more limbs and tiny branches. As the sky continued to lighten (no sun… Northern Indiana in the winter… don’t be greedy), I was able to see the entire tree… every single branch, limb, twig… all of this wonderful tree.

That is it, isn’t it? The quietly, focused and waiting… seeing what appears. Patience.

I need more patience. If I might be so bold, you might need some also… so let’s do this… let’s be like my mom… look at more trees… have more patience.