I popped out of the woods and was greeted by an old friend. I hadn’t seen my favorite oak tree since a series of storms blew through last week. My feet quietly padded along the Natchez Trace as I passed it. It had lost leaves since the last time I had been by (my runs have been shorter lately). Then I noticed a pretty good-sized limb on the ground.
The storms had damaged the oak. But it still stood.
It’s strong with deep roots and a solid core to weather what life throws at it. And it’s limbs normally are flexible enough to sway during the storm.
But one limb didn’t make it.
Yet the oak still stood.
How many of us are facing storms in our lives? How many of us are dinged and damaged? I ran with a friend who told me of her struggles in life. You could hear the pain in her voice. But she doesn’t let it slow her down. She was finishing up a 20-mile run. She’s tough.
Like the oak, she still stands.
I passed back by the oak on the way home. I smiled, saluted and yelled “Happy New Year!”
It didn’t answer back.
It just stood.