Crooked aspens - overcoming challenges

 


Occasionally when I'm hiking, I see sights like these - a very crooked tree in the middle of a straight-trunk forest. Aspens are usually very straight and vertical, so seeing a twisty one is a surprise. Sometimes they come in a cluster as in the second photo, on Mt. Kesler.
I have often wondered what causes a tree to go twisty. In researching, it seems botanists aren't completely sure either, but it may be a genetic mutation. Interestingly, aspen trees share root systems and so nearby trees are actually "manifestations" of the same tree. In Saskatchewan, there is a very large growth of severely twisted trees that all share a root system, and nearby is a straight-trunk forest.
Perhaps in some ways, the twisty trunks mar the beauty of the clean, straight, "normal" trunks. But I always admire them. In my mind, they seem like trees that have struggled and overcome challenges to grow. They didn't just "shoot up" - they made more slow and difficult progress on their way to the same height. But they persisted, and there they are, doing their part and thriving in the same forest.
People are like that, aren't they? Some seem to have an easy path to growth and maturity. Others face struggles and challenges, problems and difficulties - physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually, developmentally. But in the process of growth, people who struggle often turn into something majestic and impressive. They have survived and persisted through times that many of us never imagine, and they become something impressive in the process. Some of the most remarkable people I've ever known faced some "twists" in their growth process.
I #GiveThanks for nature's reminder to appreciate the good in every one, to respect those who have dealt with and overcome challenges, and especially to support and encourage those who might currently have challenges far beyond my own experience.



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