Spring Isn’t the Only Time for Renewal

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Are you craving Spring?  I sure am. 

I’m craving a fresh sense of purpose and perspective that so many of us associate with this time of year.  We all want to hear that Spring is the time for renewal but in my heart, I know the truth.

Spring isn’t the time for renewal – each day is.  We all have the opportunity each day, each hour, each minute, each moment to start again. 

How Do We Renew?

To renew and start again, sounds light and airy; easy breezy, doesn’t it?  How do we renew?  The answer isn’t in drinking more water, deep breathing, exercising or calling friends. Those are all good things and can certainly help, but I’m going to venture to say that you haven’t used this trick for renewal – try going for a walk among the trees in late Spring when the leaves begin to leaf out.

I know this is not the typical answer for renewal, so stay with me.  For as long as I can remember, I have loved trees. Especially in Springtime, when they show us their potential. I know not everyone has the same affinity for spring trees, but the next time you take a walk among them try looking at them with a fresh perspective. 

Walk under them and beside them.  Think about what it is that makes them special.

Then, conjure up an image in your head of all the words that characterize a tree:  beauty, growth, wisdom, strength….

spring renewal

Next, imagine what it is that trees do. Trees grow, stretch, reach, root, contort, bend, break, mend and blossom. Recognize that in motherhood, we all do those very same things.  We grow, we stretch, we reach, we root, we contort, we bend, we break, we mend and we blossom. This is the perfect summary of my life lately with three teens in the house – a tree of unassuming quality, often going unnoticed, until it is time to be climbed on with branches bent, contorted, snapped and mended. 

Know What You Stand For

It doesn’t matter what stage you are in, trees represent every part of motherhood – the drought, the storms, the bounty.  Draw strength from what they show us about ourselves, especially taking note of the blooms.  Like moms, trees hold a much deeper story, inner strength, magnificence and durability than any of us will ever know. It is our deep-rooted nature, our subtle growth, our ability to adapt that allows us to weather the strongest of storms and perpetually blossom.

Look at the trees and see what they stand for, what they protect and what they provide; and then see yourself.  Trees show us what we offer and what we give.  Mothers give and give and give until nothing is left, bend until almost broken, weather the unimaginable, and yet, stand through it all. Trees illustrate our courage, our resolve and our heart. 

This simple walk amongst the giants can have a special way of validating our hardiness, resilience and fight.  Most importantly, this walk can be the very renewal we are seeking, and it just may cause you to look at trees and motherhood in a new light. 

In that much needed moment of renewal that I spoke of in the beginning, we can all imagine the characteristics of a tree and remind ourselves of our beauty, growth, wisdom and strength and be assured that no matter the obstacle….we will still stand. 

2 COMMENTS

  1. Love this! Forget the whole “be a pinapple, stand tall…” quote, I want to be a Tree! Tall, strong and resilient.

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