The Twists, Turns, Gaps and Spaces of Resilience
During a writer’s retreat at Cape Cod we decided to take a break from writing and went walking. We came to a path that brought us to a small clearing within a wooded area. Clearing might not be the best word for it since branches still masked the sky, but you thought of it that way because one single tree had overtaken the space.
None of us had ever encountered a tree quite like this one before. It seemed to be growing toward the sun and the ground at the same time. Branches were reaching up, pushing down, and going back and forth. You almost expected it to start moving.
When visiting Disneyworld, a favorite of my grand-girl Keira is a street performer named DiVine. She is beautiful, as tall as the trees. A seemingly "alive" vine, she moves gracefully through the wooded areas and streets. Keira is mesmerized. The videos of their encounters are priceless. DiVine’s magic embodies everything about that magic kingdom for her.
I thought of DiVine when gazing at that tree and even half expected to see her emerge, there was so much life there.
There was also peace in that clearing even though the tree’s profile seemed to tell a different story.
Such determination! If there was no water available where the root or branch found itself, they simply moved. Sometimes growing back out of the earth and dropping back in. When harm came to call from man, beast, or storms, the tree healed itself and had scars to prove it. Such resilience was manifested there as a living example for us all.
If we take the time to step back and look at our lives the way we looked at this tree, we will find much the same. All the twists and turns create the gaps and spaces that matter – that we need for the miracles to happen. The key seems to be having the courage to take action to find new answers when faced with adversity and stay the course until we do. Sometimes forward, sometimes back and every direction in between. Still moving all the while.
Even now, after over 100 years, that tree just keeps looking for yesses. A lovely symbol for a Yes, I Can! life. Every story that tree tells makes it even more inspiring and delivers hope.
