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Bouncing Back!

Are we there yet? Brrr…Old Man Winter has certainly worn out his welcome, like the weird family member (we ALL have one, or two) that always comes too early to family functions and get-togethers and seems to never know when to leave, even after everyone else has.

April has arrived, and not a moment too soon. Interestingly enough, as I was leaving my home to start my impossible to-do list one day not long ago, the weather was bitterly cold, the temperature just above 20 degrees. I quickly proceeded to my car and noticed a little tree that I had planted in my yard years ago to my immediate right. Oh my goodness … it was a sad sight witnessing this skinny, seemingly depressed (as if human), even ugly “runt” of a tree. I thought, “This tree is toast,” or shall I say “firewood.” I truly believed that this little one—that at one time had been full of potential, vigor and hopeful expectation—had seen its last days. The tough winter season had dealt this little tree a series of frigid “death blows.” How unfortunate.

I had to move on, but I continued to ponder these thoughts for a while. How strange … I have passed this tree many times and never seemed to notice it before, even on its best days. I felt somehow responsible as I continued to pass it by each day thinking, “I will give you the proper funeral soon when the weather improves.” Then, sometime later, leaving my home, something caught my eye. Curious … I looked closer, and there in front of me stood this little, skinny tree with new buds everywhere. Wow … I must say that I was shocked. In my mind, this tree had no hope at all. Today, it stands there, almost as if looking at me when I pass by saying (as if trees could talk), “Annette … life is about bouncing back!”

This is so true. In the month of April, we see evidence of the important principle of “bouncing back” all around us. Squirrels, birds, and even little trees re-emerge from the toughest of transitions and circumstances to start a new chapter in life—a new season. They got it … do we? My little tree that I had written off into the obituary column was anchored to something much larger and capable—the soil that it had been planted in. It was filled with inner life and a massive support system—the Earth.

The Earth and this little tree have a complex relationship too deep for me to comprehend, but, thankfully, if we pay attention, it’s on full display for us to learn from. Bouncing back is a life principle that we must master if we are to navigate the seasons. Has anyone written you off after one glance, passing judgment based upon what “looks” to be reality, not understanding that you are tied to something much bigger and stronger, filled with inner strength escaping the human eye?

Prove all the doubters wrong. Bounce back into life and living, like my little tree; and in honor of Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, show a little love for all the trees surrounding us that often go unnoticed. Plant a tree, maybe even a little ugly one; it is absolutely vital to your (our) existence.

Finding my bounce,

Annette Briggs - Publisher

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