Grandfather Revisited

The Grandfather Tree, eighteen-hundred years old, knows what it means to be serene in the midst of the storm. Winds from all directions…fame or obscurity, wealth or poverty, success or failure, happiness or sadness…and still the massive tree is unmoved. One reason for its stability in the midst of storm is flexibility. It literally flexes, sways, bends in the assault of high winds, but bending and breaking are two different things. Grandfather is anchored but not rigid. And each part of the huge tree benefits the whole. Canopy, trunk, roots. Each is necessary for the survival of the whole. Grandfather’s “treeness” is defined by the parts working together. Sound familiar? We can debate the question of which part of Grandfather’s structure is most important for survival and growth, but high on the priority list has to be roots. Grounded (quite literally), anchored.

Some of us wonder why we get buffeted and knocked over with every passing storm. Shallow roots. No anchor. Little depth. And don’t overlook the exact opposite. Wealth, fame, applause, success. They can be as vicious as the “bad” things that happen to us.

Storms are inevitable. Rigid things break. Rootless things can’t withstand. Exclusivity is a very narrow street with a sign that reads: No Way Out. A very long time ago, at the end of his teaching or story telling, Jesus would say “let those who have ears, hear.” A contemporary translation: So, what do you think about that?