Strong roots, redirected growth

 


On a hike this afternoon in American Fork canyon, we encountered a fascinating fir tree. The roots were strong and deep, maybe 15 feet up a steep embankment next to the trail; and the large trunk protruded perfectly horizontally, maybe even with a downward curve, high above our heads. After some 20-30 feet it turned in an elegant curve and headed straight up again, very vertical like a normal tree. And halfway out the horizontal trunk, another branch had grown strong and vertical, parallel to the main tree, and almost as high.
Again, I puzzled at the forces of nature that caused this anomaly. My guess is that when the tree had reached a certain maturity of normal growth, some erosion or disturbance undercut its growth and caused it to tip precariously. But the roots somehow held and accommodated, and so the tree basically turned its growth to reach for the sky and start over. And it's doing remarkably well.
Great lesson for life! Sometimes things get toppled on their sides or turned on end. Sometimes our accustomed foundation collapses. Sometimes we find conditions unexpectedly and dramatically altered in our environment or relationships. As long as our roots are firmly emplanted in the soil, as long as we have a strong foundation - they key to success is to start over, re-orient ourselves, and continue on with renewed vigor!
I #GiveThanks for strong roots and for redirected growth, and especially for those people I have encountered who manage to overcome incredibly traumatic challenges.

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