Day 148: As a Tree Grows

I like to watch the trees in the winter, without leaves. I can see the way the branches grew. Their various paths to the sky indicate their pursuit for the sun, braced through the weight of weather and growth. I imagine the roots: equally a maze of arms reaching down into the dirt to find nutrients and water.

If I were to remove a tree from the ground and wipe it clean of all debris, what would it look like? Two bunches of tentacles, uniquely formed — one, without the hindrance of Earth, reaches out thirty feet, while the other reaches out on all sides, spreading its wings in the ground.

I wonder if both sides were allowed to be free in the air, would they grow to be mirror images? The trunk becomes a handle in the middle of two bushes. Floating around like a barbell of brain synapses. Is lightening just Earth having an incredible thought?

The neural network of the Universe is reflected in all things. It’s weird being so small and feeling so large. Like we have it all figured out when we don’t even know what it is. Like microbes, we are still just moving along with our daily lives, pursuing our purpose in the grand scheme of infinite life. Stretching out our minds in all directions. Like a tree that is free from the confines of soil.

I admire the strength of a tree. Season after season, year after year it stands, calmly accepting life as it appears and disappears. And when it is finally over, a tree still provides. It becomes nutrients for future trees and plants. It becomes homes to insects, amphibians, and mammals. It provides warmth for a weary traveler.

A tree grows, pursuing the sun, water, and soil in order to provide life for so many others. Over and over.

I want to grow up to be a tree.

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Image by Johannes Plenio from Pixabay