blossoms on an alive coral tree — found on a morning walk
Good Afternoon, God!
What a delight to find a healthy coral tree! There used to be so many of them . . . blooming every January. The first flowering tree of the year. Then came a small invasive wasp . . . and it killed the coral trees. I thought that ALL were gone! I do hope the wasps don’t find this one.
This makes think me of chestnut trees — mostly gone due to a blight. But a ranger told me that every so many years the roots of the trees send up a shoot to see if it’s time to come back. I find that amazing! And a very special testimony to the importance of roots. Unseen, living in the dark damp earth and supporting the whole tree — and capable even of hoping!
There are people like that too, God. Good solid, hard-working and caring people. They are doing tedious routine jobs — collecting garbage, cashiering, filling pot holes — jobs that make all the rest possible. I’m thankful for the kind loving roots of our society.
I saw a wonderful quote years ago: “A society that prefers mediocre philosophy to decent plumbing will soon find that neither its philosophies nor its pipes hold water.” Although, in our time I guess it is venture capitalists and entrepreneurs that have the respect . . . certainly more than philosophers.
a coral tree and Koko Crater
This morning, I went to Dr. Boyer for MOHS surgery on a small basal cell cancer just above my lip. And he had four nurses who in rotation took care of me at each step. Explaining and warning me before each action — going slow, to avoid pain and surprises. Their care transformed the experience into one of being cared for — instead of just being cut up.
Ah, God, would that we all showed that root-like care and support for one another.
Story teller,
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