Woody tree roots, exposed above ground, catch my attention. Thick and slightly twisted, they have grown over and around a moss-covered boulder.
Long intrigued by relationships between trees and rocks, I spin a story.
A dark-brown winged pine seed flutters to the ground, landing near the boulder. Nourished and protected, the seed sprouts into a seedling, and the seedling becomes a sapling, and the sapling becomes a tree. The tree grows wider and the roots spread outward, eventually encountering that earth-embedded boulder, now a seeming obstacle to growth.
My story fast-forwards.
Growing over and around the boulder, the thick roots pull the boulder closer in a softening embrace.
Sweet love story!!
Thanks for the story. It is great to be reminded of the amazing connections in nature. The embrace of a rock may be providing stability in the wind as the tree grows. The rock can capture moisture on the north side for ferns or delicate flowers. The warmth of the south side might be good digging for a chipmunk to tunnel and loosen the soil for nutrients to reach the tree roots.
Thanks, Hal, for adding these connections and the (indirect) nudge to pay more attention to the cardinal directions. While I was standing by this White Pine, I thought about the boulder providing stability. I’ve seen rocks in the root bases of trees who have been blown over, but never one the size of this boulder.
I have a special fondness for trees entwined wtih boulders, too. There’s one at the walkway down into the creek bed at the bottom of our pasture. I’ve never quite been able to capture that sense of age, weathering and living connection with my camera. There’s something almost portal-like about it that fascinates me. Thanks for this post; love the pic and the time travel through the growth journey of the pine.
Oooo, portal-like!
I read this post when I was feeling more vulnerable than usual.
Reading and rereading, I felt my own tree-self’s softening embrace for a “boulder,” a seeming unmovable obstacle in my life: A longtime question changed — from “How do I move this ‘rock’?” to “How do I grow around it?”
And then the how-do-I question quieted to a whisper: “Allow … tree is tree, rock is rock; trust the roots to find their way. Their nature is to grow over and around.”
“How do I grow around this rock?” What a beautiful question, Adel. Not the mention the whispered answer.
I also love how changing the question we’re asking ourselves can open us and reveal new answers, insights, understandings.
Thanks for this, Marilyn – and for making commenting possible!
I always love these, but this one in particular touched my heart & brought back a sweet memory / deep-rooted (ha ha) bit of wisdom I hadn’t thought about a while.
My darling, late husband once said to me (after I passive-aggressively said, ‘Oh, sorry. Am I in your way?’), “You’re not in my way. You are my way.”
Adel – I loved your share. Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words, Lissa.
Your beloved’s quote will have a home in my heart for a long time to come. What a gorgeous way to be in the world.
Grateful for the tenderness with which you write and the generosity with which you share. xo
You’re most welcome, Lissa.
Thank you for sharing your husband’s loving, wise reply.