Lusher than Ever.

I learn a lot from nature. My spirit is impacted by nature. I was bee-bopping along with the early greening of trees this year. Most of my plants were 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule because of the unseasonably warm March weather. The new shoots were out and displayed a tender green. It was awesome. Then the Easter freeze of 2007 hit.

I knew the bad weather was coming. I protected what I could. I was not prepared for the devastation, especially to the shrubs and trees. I drove down the backroads thinking everything had been torched. The fresh shoots were hanging limp and brown or black. This included all the Oak trees, various nut and fruit trees. The Bradford pear were black on the north side and green on the south. I wished I had taken photos but then again it was so awful. I despaired of much green to soothe my eyes this year and worried that many trees would not make it.

The specialists said don't prune anything. Give it all a month or two. I shook my head and wept inside. Little happened that first month. Then some trees started putting out new shoots, not just leaves but entirely new branches. I looked up into my Butternut tree and saw 4-5 green bunches of leaves and wondered if they could do enough photosynthesis to sustain that great tree. Turns out those clusters were the pioneers.

Now the trees are more lush than ever I have seen them. And drooping from among the leaves are the blackened vestiges of life frozen to death. Even the trees that stayed barren longest have now begun regreening. The Katalpa tree even produced new blossoms. I am already thinking that the autumn colors will be spectacular. I know everything is still fragile in the sense that a drought could really stress the trees that have now put out so much energy to restore their foilage. I am thinking about what the wildlife will do this winter without the fruit and nut crops.

I am left knowing nature appears to be more resilient than I think I am. I don't know that I have been tested to the point where I have had to call upon my reserves so deeply in order to survive. Sometimes I dote on my self pity when things seem not to go my perferred way. I find myself thinking that life is too hard and I don't want to do this. But sooner or later, this too passes.

I take strength in watching this miracle of regenertion and hope I follow suit when I feel burnt to the core. In the meantime, things are greener than green. My eyes are bathed in spring greens. My heart is calm. The tears have dried. Life is good.