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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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STANDING TALL
Okay, I confess. It was early in the morning and very dark. I tried to miss the tree, but my truck was skidding on the ice. I hit the tree with enough force to make a dent in my fender and break the parking light. The tree trunk split under the force of impact, but it kept my truck from sliding farther. When I regained my composure, I backed the truck up and managed to get home without further incident. Later that day, I drove back to look at the poor sapling in the light. I didn't think it would survive. So I showed the owner my dented fender and offered to pay for replacing the tree. The owner walked with me to where the tree stood bowing down at about a sixty degree angle. Then she said, "Let's see if the tree survives before we replace it. If it does, fine. If it doesn't, we can talk about what to do then." Whenever I passed by that tree, I felt a twinge of guilt. As the years went by, however, I sold the truck with the dented fender and didn't pass by the tree very often. Eventually, I forgot about the damaged elm tree and the whole unfortunate event. Today, as I passed by the property, the whole crash scene reappeared from my memory and forced me to stop for an inspection. It was amazing. That little tree was still alive with it's bare branches reaching up toward the sky. The trunk had healed itself with only a slight bulge where it had split. The whole tree was again standing tall for all to see. As I looked at the tree in astonishment, I realized what a lesson it had for me. When adversity strikes, don't give up; allow yourself time to heal; make your arms reach up rather than down; and above all, keep standing tall.
David Bentley, M.Ed., is an avid observer of people, places and events. He uses his storytelling and questioning skills to help himself and others think outside the box in an ever-changing world. Comments about his column can be sent to davidbentley@sanjuanislander.com. |
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SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 |
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