Branching out

Sometimes things just catch your eye. Today while waving good-bye to my daughter on the school bus, I happened to glance back at the large tree that overshadows the street corner. Although I’ve looked at this tree hundreds of times, I stood there for a few moments looking up at the branches. It’s a grand old tree that’s been around for years but today, for some reason, it looked different to me. My eyes were drawn to the gaps between the branches as much as the branches themselves. They were all spaced as if they were attempting to make room for one another. Some curved towards the east, some to the west; others reached straight up, while still others bent and curved, their paths seemingly never entirely clear.

Our lives are not so different. We’re surrounded by family and friends, their love and compassion making room for our individual passions and growth; each of us seeking out our own paths to sunshine and the freedom of swaying openly in the breeze.

In this tree, each branch is slowly and deliberately seeking its own path. Some paths are nearly straight, confident in where they wanted to go the entire time. Others seem to curve as if to make room for the other branches. Were they bullied into succumbing to the other branches? Were they being compassionate, allowing the other branches to grow at their expense, or did some branches not feel worthy of the breeze and the sunlight? Were they fearful that they couldn’t sustain themselves in a big storm, so they opted to reside under the protection of other limbs?

As I look at all the branches in this sturdy old tree I’m impressed most by the branches that have been around for the longest time. They’ve grown thick with wisdom, building strength into the entire tree. Strangely enough, some of the oldest and strongest branches also have the most twists and turns; their paths constantly changing but their determination never failing. I think these are the branches of foundation; these are the branches that, because of their changing path, are able support the swing of a child. These are the branches that make for a good climbing tree, and these are the branches that give an old tree like this the character that draws admirers like me. These are the branches that have made room for others, while maintaining their own journey out from the base, unafraid of the coming storm. Yes, I see all that in this tree, but I need to head back now and continue my own journey. I know that today I’ll think a little more about my own path and which direction I’m heading in. I’ll also be more careful not to block the path of others on my way, and if need be, I’ll go out on a limb to help someone else catch a little sunlight in their eyes.