Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

The Trees Tell It Well

In the summer, I tend to see trees as a more or less uniform shade of green. But in the fall, that uniform green becomes a mixture of yellows, golds, reds, browns, and even purples. Losing their common chlorophyll coloring, trees, as it were assert their individuality. They seem to say, “You thought we were all the same, but we’re not. Each one of us is different and unique. Take a good luck and you’ll see it’s true, and beautiful.”

Not only that, as fall progresses and the leaves drop off, I become aware of the trees’ “skeletons” behind the leaves. It’s as if the trees were saying, “You thought we were just our leaves, but we’re much more. We are also the hidden structure of trunk and branches behind those leaves. You have to learn to see the hidden parts of us if you want to appreciate what we are.”

To take notice of individuality and what lies behind the surface are two things that fall trees remind me to do. They teach lessons important to keep in mind when it comes to people, too, since each of us is beautiful in his or her own unique ways, and there are things in us that aren’t always seen but which are essential part of us nonetheless and without which we wouldn’t be who we are.