I took a walk with a friend yesterday on a path along the Mill River. She pointed out a thriving giant Dawn Redwood, an unusual tree in our area. We stopped to rest our backs against her massive trunk. Talking to trees may sound strange to some, but I heard her tell me “Don’t give in.” And I asked, “To what?” “To fear,” she replied. That seems like a tall order these days. If only I could shake free of my daily build-up of convoluted worries. I wanted to try, so here in the safety of this wooded community, I relaxed into her trunk, feeling her sureness, groundedness and strength.
Then it happened in a flash. I was free. I felt spacious and calm, yet electric with awareness. All at once I was aware of children playing, dogs splashing, birds cawing, and the Earth oozing with new Springtime life. I was totally absorbed, living fully in the moment. And I was fearless and completely in love with life.
And you know what this great resilient Dawn Redwood said next? “Don’t give up.” Ah, so she was telling me it’s not easy to be fearless, or to accept the stuff of life we cannot control. “Don’t give up,” she said. “Ground your roots, stand tall, bend into the ferocious winds, and love and nourish those all around you. This is how you will thrive.”
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