What I Learned From a Pine Tree

What I Learned From a Pine Tree: Actually, it was a giant sequoia, it just looks like a mammoth pine tree.  Recently I happened to spent some time studying the giant sequoia, which is the largest tree on the planet.

These giant Christmas-looking trees are native to California.  I was very surprised to learn that they can grow taller than the Statue of Liberty and are extremely heavy, weighing more than a million pounds each at maturity.  Surprisingly, their roots grow shallow and wide rather than narrow and deep.  These giant trees can survive the strongest and fiercest winds and storms without being blown over.  As I wondered at this and explored further I learned that this is because the sequoia trees grow together in groups and intertwine their roots with their neighboring trees to share resources and strengthen each other.  When storms come, they literally hold each other up.  When these trees grow alone they often fall when heavy winds and storms come.  They need to grow in groups. They need each other to survive.

I could not help but think about the lessons these trees offer us.  The one that hit me most strongly was that none of us thrives well when left to ourselves.  We all need the support of those around us.  When we intertwine our lives with the lives of those around us, family, neighbors, friends, coworkers and community, then we are able to stand strong together when hard times comes, when storms rage and winds blow.

Each Christmas I think back on years past when other people's intertwined "roots" kept our family vertical during strong storms at this season of the year.  Christmas is a difficult time to have trials, be they financial struggle, grieving, or a myriad of other possible hardships.  During our trials I felt like we were in the middle of a raging storm, but we did not fall.  Many around us kept us standing.  Strength came to us in so many forms and from so many people, especially at this season of the year.  We received emotional support from many around us. We were given means to provide Christmas for our children when we had no means of our own.  We were doorbell ditched with gifts, food and money.  Those around us intertwined their roots with ours in amazing and meaningful ways to strengthen us and hold us up so we would not crash to the ground.  I will NEVER be able to thank those people enough for the service they rendered us, for intertwining their roots with ours to hold us up and strengthen us.

Christmas is a special time where we have more opportunity than the rest of the year to look around us, intertwine our lives with others, serve, share resources, and uplift and hold each other up. As we do this we stand strong together, just like the sequoia.