There are these big, beautiful trees that I would pass on my way to work. No matter the season, they draw your attention to them. During the summer they were luscious green, providing awesome shade to passersby. They seem to have soaked up all the sun and the chlorophyll in the leaves was an indication of great health. They also made perfect places for birds to nest. They were all round great trees.
Then we had a couple of cold evenings. The season was changing. It was autumn. The warm nights got replaced by chilly ones and the sunny days made way for the clouds and rain. Autumn was truly here.
As the nights cooled, the colours on the leaves of these trees that I admire, began to change. The green began to fade into light yellow, orange, or even brown. Yet, they were still simply magnificent. Their colours glowed and sprouted beauty that turned more than just my nature loving head. Others were also awed by the beauty. The birds still found a place, too. The change in colour did not seem to matter much to them. As for shade, colour was no difference. The trees’ presence still marked a place for people to stop and take a quick break after walking briskly from shops or dog-walking. Their presence just seems to pull people to them.
However, with less sunlight, came less possibility of photosynthesis happening, limiting the chlorophyll in the leaves. Bit by bit, the stems began weakening. And the weaker the stem, the more the leaves struggled to hang on. Before long, they were falling. First, one or two, then enough for the street sweepers to be around more often. Then they were falling at such a rapid pace that they were just left to create a picturesque scene that brought people to take beautiful photos.
But then, autumn faded into winter. One day I passed and no leaf could be found on the trees. No shade to be given. They seemed to have lost their joy and beauty altogether. This season seemed to have been the longest as I could not bear to pass and see the empty, drooping branches of trees that I have come to love and admire. It made me, well, sad.
The winter brought rain, snow, and winds. The nights were darker, and the days were shorter. If I didn’t hurry sometimes, I would not even get to see the trees, as it was now just too dark.
One day, I was walking by. As I walked closer to these bare trees, I noticed something different. From afar the trees just look like regular, leafless, dried sticks posing as branches. But now, at closer inspection I can see something different. There seemed to be signs of life. At the end of each ‘broken supposedly dried stick, was a cocooned, hard, oval shape of something waiting to burst out. There was life inside these ‘dried sticks’ waiting for the first consistent sun that would bring heat, so that they can show what they have been using the rain and snow from winter to do.
It turned out that while I was sad that they were being beaten by rain and snow, they were soaking up all the moisture they could, so they would be able to restart the process of making new leaves that they could push forth when the time comes.
At the first sign of spring, these buds were out and the trees began to show beauty again. They began to produce the fruits and leaves that they were focused on making during the cold winter months. They made me understand that while I was thinking them to be big, ugly, scary bunches of dried sticks, they were developing new roots and producing new fruits and leaves to shade me again during the next spring and summer.
Take No thought
This made me think of human life. Our lives also have seasons. We go through seasons where we flourish. Everything is just perfect. Things are going well and we are prospering. We are producing enough and can even provide much help to others.
But then a season comes when we lose everything and the stresses of life beat down on us. Others may see us as dried up and even unnecessary. We may not even see our own value and may want to fade in the background.
Here are three things that I have learnt from my time watching the trees go through its seasons.
- When you are going through your winter season, make use of the rain to soak up all the nourishment needed. The lessons that are to be learnt as you seem to fall, the mistakes that you may have made, the way you have had to fight your way through to stay afloat, use it to strengthen your mind and body so that you can produce even better when your moment of spring comes around again.
- Use the freezing time to preserve your nutrients. Cold weather is the best time to keep things fresh. The ‘winter’ in your life may be that you can’t do anything much. Your life is at a standstill and you don’t know where to turn. Do exactly that – stand still. Don’t rush to get rid of your resources or your possessions. Don’t be too hasty to give up. If it is your skill that seems to be going to waste, just be patient. Use this time to read, study, and develop. Your spring is coming and you will need all that you have kept fresh, to push forward and give its beauty.
- Always look for signs of life. All you can see in yourself is dried, brokenness. Whatever has brought on your winter season has left you feeling worthless, dejected, used, insufficient, and hopeless. For you, this is it. Nights are dark and long, and the days are dull and gloomy. You cannot see any way out. Just hang in there. Keep on holding on. Keep on hoping. Keep on living to the fullest and look for signs of life.
