The Wisdom of the Oak: How a lone tree taught me about life

“Storms make the oak grow deeper roots.”
George Herbert

It started with a small acorn.  Maybe the acorn dropped from a bird. Or it maybe it fell and rolled down the nearby steep hill.  The warm sun and giving rains lit a spark inside of it, nourishing it as it began to take root. It quickly grew in the rich soil, first sending out a single root, then turning into a small tree.  And it continued to grow. And grow it did. Soon it was mighty, surviving when all the other trees around it had fallen. Storms repeatedly shook it but as George Hebert said, it made for deeper roots.  Over time it became a sentinel, looking out over the nearby reservoir and guarding time itself.  As that time passed, the oak continued to grow stronger.  Because of its roots and strong core, it’s arms began to reach toward the stars above.

The winter oak.

Every Saturday, I run past this oak.  I’ve seen it change with the seasons. I’ve marveled at its beauty.  And I think it’s a perfect metaphor for life.

The  roots — The roots are your faith, family and friends — and they need to run deep. They keep you grounded during good times and bad. It’s tough to grow without strong roots.

The core — It’s who you are.  It’s your trunk, your strength.  It’s what you stand for. Your values.  And it can only be as strong as the roots beneath it allow it to be. Like the trunk of a tree, you have to keep growing.  Your core must be strong to withstand the storms that come into our lives.  The winds of change can whip around like a reed without a strong core.

With deep roots and a strong core, you can survive the storms of life.

The branches — Branches represent parts of your life. For me, one branch may be my radio career. One branch may be being an author. One branch is my cartooning. Another is my social media footprint. One of my biggest branches is me being a father and husband.  Each branch reflects my core — who I am.  My branches can’t reach for the stars without a strong core and roots. I can’t succeed without a strong family and principles. My branches must have symmetry. And beauty is in the balance.

The oak changes with the seasons and like all living things, it will eventually die.  But it’s a powerful metaphor and a reminder of how we should approach this amazing gift of life we’ve been given.