. When Trees Are Threatened

. When Trees Are Threatened

We signed up for a hike with a ranger, who told us a
remarkable thing: when a tree's life is threatened,
stressed by the elements of fire, drought, or other
calamity, it twists beneath its bark to reinforce and
make itself stronger.

On the surface, this new inner strength may not be
visible, for the bark often continues to give the same
vertical appearance. Only when the exterior is stripped
away, or when the tree is felled, are its inner
struggles revealed"

Inner struggles for folks like you and me can also make
us stronger if we so choose, and face our difficulties
and challenges with courage and determination and not
allow them to defeat us. 

  -- Marilyn J. Abraham