I LIKE tops of trees.
Here’s why:
It’s a strange thing to write about, I know. But there is something about when I look up and see the tippety-top of a tree to the vastness of the sky that gives me the feeling that I am staring at myself. Let me explain…
Trees reach. That is what they do by nature. Their limit is literally the sky. And as far away as the sky is from the tree in actuality—when I look up, there is a distorted perspective making it appear that the sky and the tree are very close friends, one lying on the lap of the other. I don’t see the realistic limitations of the tree… of not being able to afford the lost water that evaporates during photosynthesis, and therefore not being able to grow to sky height. Instead, I feel the friendly sky is forever inviting the tree to meet it, similar to a father reaching out his hands to his young son. The sky whispers to the tree “come with me” and the tree extends its branches out to its fullest potential, growing more and more.
Now, like all of us—once trees reach a certain height, sadly they do stop getting taller. But interestingly scientists have discovered that trees grow faster the older they get. When I think of my existence here on this earth so far, there are so many similarities. The older I get, my desire to tap (ha, pun) into all aspects of my potential has an urgency that didn’t exist when I was 20. I had time back then…time was abundant…and when something is abundant one has a tendency to waste some of it. But that is natural and normal. And ok.
Interestingly, at a certain height, trees can no longer afford to photosynthesize. And, without the photosynthesis needed to support additional growth, the tree instead turns its resources towards existing branches. As a human gets older, I think this happens as well. It’s no longer about growing up, but it’s more about growing inward, strengthening the knowledge of all that you have learned from many past experiences, and utilizing the skill sets you have built over the years. That is wisdom. But the tree never stops reaching…and neither will I. Even if my face skin has started to look like this:
