I have always felt a close relationship with trees. Oaks are my favorite because they stand tall with branches outspread like arms welcoming the wind and sun.
Learning, watching, and being more like trees can teach us about life and how to live with more peace, joy, and fulfillment.
Here is a poem that illustrates how trees and humans are similar. This poem touched me deeply and reinforced what I have believed for a very long time. My thanks to some dear friends who recnetly shared it with me.
HUMANS AND TREES The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light But stood out in the open plain, Never became a forst king But lived and died a scrubby.
People who never had to toil To gain and farm their patches of soil, Who never had to win their share Of sun and sky and light and air, Never became sturdy in their lifespan But lived and died as they began.
Good timber does not grow with ease, The stronger wind, the stronger trees, The further sky, the greater length, The more the storm, the more the strength, By sun and cold, by rain and snow, In trees and people good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth, We find the patriarchs of both. And they hold counsel with the stars Whose broken bramcjes show the scars Of many winds and much of strife. This is the common law of life. (Author Unknown)
In my book of short stories, When I Rise: Tales, Truths, and Symbolic Trees, I write about twelve different people and their journeys and life lessons. A particular tree is the symbol for each story.
What is El Nino? It is a climate pattern that starts with warm water building up in the tropical Pacific west of South America. This happens every three to seven years or so.
Now we are in La Nina, which means a cooling of the ocean waters. The forecasters are predicting a record number of hurricanes. La Nina occurs about every 3-5 years.
No matter the weather, I have learned the following:
Our perspective determines our happiness. “It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow.” (Roy T. Bennett)
Be grateful and present in the now. Accept life for what it is now.
Accept that we have no control over the weather; only our reaction to it.
By working together, massive changes can be made. “A snowflake is fragile, but look what at what they can do when they stick together.” (Vesta M. Kelly)
Life is like the seasons: ups and downs. Don’t let the current season define who you are.
Change is inevitable and each day is different with lessons from which to learn.
If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm. (Frank Lane)
The weather is cyclic. Our lives are cyclic. Whether el nino or la nina, each day is a blessing.
How often do we use the words “down“and “up” in everyday life. The more times we use the word up the better life can be.
She bent down and then raised up.
Turn the music down; no, turn it up.
Johnny knocked me down, but Charlie lifted me up.
The sun goes down, but at dusk it comes up to start a new day.
I sat down next to her but soon got up.
I put the luggage down so he could lift it up
Life has its ups and downs.
It will cool down tonight, but warm up tomorrow.
We lay down to sleep but get up when awake.
A frown is formed when our mouths have down corners, but up corners create a smile.
She fell down but then picked herself up.
Each life is full of downs and ups! It is best to learn from each experience and enjoy the rollercoaster ride called “life.”
I hope you have more “up” times in your life, but know that we have the opportunity to learn more during our “down” times.
My thanks to Isaac Deas, PhD, who presented this topic at one of our Teal Magnolia Luncheons. Author of Don’t Let Go, he has a doctorate in education, a masters in counseling and human resources. https://deas.consulting/about/
I am pleased to introduce you to a new book by a very talented author, D. L. Finn, The book is a series of short stories, each one having a message about life, its challenges, mysteries, and rewards. I first “met” Denise many years ago through an author’s book club. We have never met in person, but I consider her a friend, colleague, and mentor. We both love nature, books are a joy to read, and writing is a passion. Her philosophy or motto is to embrace the inner childby reading a good book.
Thank you for having me visit, Karen, to share the release of my short story collection,In the Tree’s Shadow.
“The Bonsai” is part of my personal short story challenge. I had a family member pick a word. Then I used that word to search images on Canva. Once I found a picture that inspired me, I would start the story.
My youngest daughter, Danielle, the other writer in the family, picked the word bonsai. I was immediately drawn to an image of a bonsai overlooking the ocean. I thought of a woman standing next to a bonsai on the cliff’s edge after losing the love of her life.
What if there was more to that bonsai than Darcie realized? Could she get a second chance in life? This is about not only second chances but the power of love.
BLURB:
A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist.
Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.
EXCERPT:
The fog slowly crept in, covering the landscape in a soft, gray blanket. The distant lighthouse’s mournful cry warned the ships of land. The gentle ocean sway had always been my meditation, but the sound grated on my nerves today.
I turned my attention to the bonsai that Henry had named Blossom. It had been a wedding gift from Henry’s parents. Blossom had lived at the edge of the cliff for over forty years. Here is where I scattered Henry’s ashes last week. Sitting on the bench made of driftwood that Henry made right after retiring three years ago didn’t bring me the closure I desired.
Our golden years were cut short by aggressive cancer. I was left with an empty ocean-view house and Blossom. She was the closest we came to kids since I could only miscarry babies, not have them. After losing three, we couldn’t bear any more losses. We let our dream go. We became each other’s everything, and now I was lost without his serene smile and quick wit.
Dr. Denny’s declaration rang hollow this morning. “You’re in perfect health, Mrs. Duffy. You’ll live to be a hundred years old.”
I had smiled, but inside I wished it had been bad news. How could I live for thirty more years without the one person who made life worth living?
I love to star and moon gaze in the summer. It inspires poetry.
Not only do I love the mountains, but I am also called to the ocean. I grew up near the coast and redwoods.
BIO:
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
If you were to create a quilt with each patch representing your life, what would it look like? Would you have the patches represent the lows as well as the highs of your life? Would it show mistakes or failures? What colors would you choose? Would you include lessons you learned, role models who influenced you, or life-changing events?
My life quilt’s background is of many colors. My patches include a central patch with a heart representing my wonderful husband. I have a square of just black, which represents the child abuse. It is small now though it was quite large earlier in life. There are squares for my 3 sons, 8 grandchildren, and 1 for my great grandson. I danced (not always smoothly or easily) through the storm of cancer. Earning my master’s degree was an important goal that impacted my career. Aunt Arleigh has always been an inspiration and there for me. The four stars represent steps in my growing faith and spiritual path from childhood to now.
Writing this blog stimulated my imagination and many memories. Have you begun to design the quilt of your life? I encourage you to do so because it will put your life in perspective, give you a symbolic way to look at it, and for others to perhaps learn something new about you. Just know you can always add or take off a patch. No matter what, the quilt is YOU; that special gift from God.
If you would like to read a truly good book filled with short stories, then “Things Old and Forgotten,” is just for you. Mae Clair’s talent as a creative writer is quite evident in each story.She describes emotions, scenes, and characters in a beautifully poetic manner without them being contrived.
My 5 Star Review
Here is a collection of short stories that covers a wide range of genres and each story has a powerful message. My favorites were Desert White and Miss Lily Makes a Wish. The first one is about redemption, life’s choices, and consequences. On a lighter note is Miss Lily Makes a Wish, where a sweet elderly woman comes across a genie who jumped out of the lamp she rubbed. The chose 2 of her 3 wishes were very simple: to fix two things in her house, which surprised the genie. It was her 3rd wish that changed her life forever. The author, Mae Clair, is a talented and creative storyteller. Each short story had a life lesson, a moral or religious issue, or a thought-provoking message. Some were on the light side while others were darker.
KAREN INGALLS, AUTHOR, BLOGGER & SURVIVOR 