The Screw Pine. Or the "Stands on Stilts" Tree, as I sometimes call it.
I always notice this particular tree when I pass it at Sanibel Moorings. Without fail, its distinctive stilt-like roots grab my attention.
I wonder what its underground system of roots is like. Surely this tree has a strong foundation beneath the ground. It was not pulled up when the fierce
winds of hurricane Irma hit this island.
Like all of nature, I feel that this tree can offer lessons to us.
For me, one lesson is to be well rooted in the ground. My first personal take-away is an appreciation for the "Ground of All Being" and for all of us rooted in whatever name
we give to God.
Another lesson I sense is to show some of my roots, my values, my ideals. "Be not afraid to show your hope, your optimism, your belief in the goodness within humanity. Show your heart and soul. Show who you are" that tree says to me.
A third lesson is to
appreciate the roots of my family, to embrace what generations before me have passed down.
One more lesson is to appreciate being rooted in friendship and community.
We need one another. Let's give thanks for our connections, for our rootedness and for all we are learning on walks in
nature and on our walk through life.
What might this tree say to you?
With love,
Charlene
