Fall colors bursting along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Photo by D. Paul Graham

“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Arbors …..

Growing up in Ontario, fall was my best-loved time of the year.  Crisp temperatures in the mornings and evenings act as bookends for sunny warm afternoons. My favorite part of fall was the brilliant changing of colors of the tree foliage.  My heart would leap with joy as I took spirited drives through backroads, mesmerized by tree leaves that seemingly exploded overnight with vibrant shades of amber, red, crimson and orange on each side of the road. I never got tired of watching in the rear-view mirror as the leaves, chaotically spinning and fluttering as if they were a tiny ballet, were caught up in the slipstream of my car. Now living in the US South, few leaves change color, but the grandeur of live-oak trees that canopy over roads, stately pine trees that reach for the sky, bald cypress trees with their bulging trunks where they meet swamp water, flowering dogwood and magnolias, and the omniscient variants of palm trees never fail to keep my interest. This morning’s M5T considers the grace, endurance, and timeless nature of trees as metaphors for our lives.

1. IMPORTANCE OF ROOTS. Roots are central to every tree.  They provide a solid foundation, that keep a tree upright. Roots are also a support system of family, core values, and faith. No matter what success you have had in life, roots make sure you never forget where you came from keeping you grounded in both success and failure. Deep roots make you tough to knock over, with stability, growth, and connection. Trees with deep roots can survive almost anything. When a tree’s roots are determined enough, they can even break through concrete to reach the soil. Your roots embody your resilience and adaptability in any situation, giving you the power to push through and find a way to keep growing, even in tough environments.

2. GROWTH, SHELTER & SHADE. Roots are a reminder that not all growth is visible. Often your most profound growth happens beneath that surface, before anyone fully realizes just how much change you’ve undergone. All the more reason to nurture your inner life to cultivate patience, wisdom, and trust that allows you to flourish. How amazing is that day when you look back and realize how much you’ve grown in your life and relationships? Trees can represent a sense of shelter, refuge and safety, while the shade of a tree can be a cooling solace, a place and moment of peace to unload burdens, much like the presence of someone who willingly shields you and provides a calming influence from life’s struggles. As you grow in life, you realize that you can be a source of shelter and shade for others.

3. STRENGTH. Like a tree, a person’s strength is rooted in deep foundations, weathering storms and adversity while continuing to stand tall. You may bend in the wind, but you remain steadfast with a core of inner strength that allows you to adapt to life’s trials. When a storm hits, the trees that are not ridged but bend with the wind don’t crack. Sometimes life storms force you to let go of things that you’ve been holding too tight. Storms have a way of making room for change and can release deadwood that needs to be cleared away. A tree drops its dead branches, just like you should drop bad habits, toxic people, or other things that are holding back your growth. Strength will give you the awareness of what needs to be pruned and cleared in your life. Take a look at a live-oak and how its branches twist and bend, and yet growing and remaining strong for decades and centuries. As seasons change, so do you. Sometimes your life paths take unexpected turns, but your commitment to growth, strength, resilience, and endurance will define a fulfilled life.

4. IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT. Trees move towards sunlight because they need the light to grow. Similarly, you should actively follow your light and focus on what energizes you. Shining light on any situation provides clarity, hope, and guidance. Light fuels inspiration and positivity that cultivates growth and allows the human spirit to thrive. Light makes a tree’s branches reach upward, just as you seek out clarity for your purpose and direction in life. It illuminates the path ahead, navigating through the unknown of darkness, providing transparency and understanding that will guide you through difficult decisions to be made. Light is necessity for survival and is a force that shapes and defines your journey toward higher aspirations and dreams.

5. BARK & BATTLE SCARS. The outer bark of a tree is tough, protecting what’s inside, but it also bears the marks of every storm it has lived through. It is a shield from harsh weather, disease, and external threats. Your bark, your scars, whether physical or emotional, tell the story of your toughness. Your bark represents protection, resilience, and outward expression. It symbolizes the defenses and boundaries you have developed to protect yourself from any number of life’s challenges. Over time, bark thickens and bears scars, much like we carry the marks of our experiences, struggles, and growth. Bark is a reminder of our ability to endure and adapt, yet still allows for healthy growth beneath the surface. The patterns and textures of your bark reflect your life story, uniquely shaped by storms and clear skies, trials and tribulations, successes and failures, and the wisdom that can only be gained from age and experience.

Here’s to a week of the deep roots from trees that give you strength, shelter and shade, and to being just the right tree for others in your life.

For over 12 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T™.  He continues to enjoy spirited drives through backroads anytime of the year.

© 2024 D. Paul Graham.

You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com