As I wandered the property searching for a place to strike my shovel, it dawned on me that I wasn’t merely planting little trees; I was planting hope⎯hope for the future. If all goes well, by spring they will be on their way slowly spreading their roots. It will take a number of years for them to achieve their true growth potential, but that is what hope is all about. Since we will probably move sooner rather than later, I won’t see these trees grow into the lovely specimens they are, and that’s okay. I would not plant them if I did not hope they had a chance to somehow thrive and grow.
Why bother? Because we all need the glimmer of hope in our lives. If something has disturbed your root system, that is the signal to change, thrive and grow. It's not easy, but like these little trees of hope, we must create our own space, forge a strong root system and adapt to whatever comes our way. Each one of us struggles with some form of tough love, but tough love is all about the possibility, and that is endless.
View from Below courtesy of vastateparkstaff