At this time of year as it is easy to just mournfully flick through photos of your summer holiday on the beach, reminisce about barbecues in the park and wish it was March already (maybe with a short stop at the end of December first). However, I think that nature can teach us a lot about appreciating the darker colder months, just as we can appreciate the darker times in our own lives.
Grandmother Beech Tree
Thank you Grandmother beach tree,
for this moment of quiet in the mayhem of life,
you hold me in your strong arms,
my back against your solid branch
filling me with a deep sense of calm.
Let me grow to be like you Grandmother beech tree,
with deep roots to keep me grounded.
and arms reaching up towards the sun.
Let me drink in the sunlight
but also dance in the storm,
let me sway in the gentle breeze
then be covered in snow,
let me withstand the downpour,
we all need rain, not just sunshine, to grow.
Let me let go like you Grandmother beech tree,
let my tears fall like your leaves in the autumn,
let me accept each branch that must rot and die,
I will learn from each cold and barren winter,
learn how to survive.
For when spring comes I can rejoice in each new bud,
cherish the unfurling of each new leaf,
not a single one will last forever,
but that is what makes them beautiful beyond belief.
Thank you grandmother beech tree.
