Love’s Grooves
Each morning, as I walk my SUP board to the small river beach, I greet a beautiful, old cedar tree that stands on the bank. Its gnarled trunk is scarred with places where limbs used to be and the deep fissures in the bark invite my fingers to explore them and touch the texture with gentle regard.
This morning after paddling I walked my board up the trail and felt a gentle nudge from the grandmother tree to come back and visit. After settling my board on the grass, I returned and placed my hands on the trunk and looked up. What a massive tree, soaring far into the sky. Usually I see only the section I pass by, rarely stopping to notice the entirety of the tree.
We do that to ourselves and others. We focus on one small part of ourselves…normally some behavior or personality flaw we don’t particularly like…and obsess about that. Or with other humans we see something we don’t like and dismiss the person without taking time to view the whole person and their many good qualities.
If I only looked superficially at the cedar tree I might say it has a lot of scars and bumps and imperfections. But when I step back and gaze at its entirety I see such magnificent beauty and oddly enough, it is the flaws make it beautiful.
In my first book, Sharks On My Fin Tips, I wrote a story about my grandfather and the depth of love’s grooves worn into our hearts by those we love. In taking a moment to visit the tree today I thought of that quote. People, wildlife, oceans, rivers, bays…all the things I have loved in my life have made an impression on me. There may be scars but mostly the memory of interacting with loved ones–people and animals–and wild animals and places has worn beautiful groves into my heart, that will remain forever.
Like the cedar tree’s beauty, our beauty comes not from perfection but from the imperfections we grow through and overcome and the impression love makes on our hearts as we risk opening them to love others.
5 Replies to “Love’s Grooves”
🙂 Nicely expressed. I can see that she has an obvious face,sad eyes,nice green eyebrows,and her mouth forming the last of her calling out, ” SIMOOO..NE” .
Her arms held close,(like she has bad tree arthritis) but her gnarled fingers pointing at you.
Oh the stories she could tell you eh?
Hey Simone,
Great post.
In the third photo I see a bears face just below the branches. 🙂 🙂  Dave Runyan 🙂 [email protected]
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Right on point. Great post
I also see the beauty of this tree but along with others I see a sad face….maybe Mother Nature is warning us to look deeper into the beauty of such living things and not take everything at “face value”
Oh the wonder of it all….
This was a pleasant reading for a new morning. I too I am very in-tune to the natural beauties and feelings i get in return. My dream is to meet Samson. I raised an infant bobcat out of necessity and completely understand their disposition and needs. She became healthy and still lives on same 3000 acres where i found her when she was alone and about 3 weeks of age. She is doing well and about 4 now. A friend sees here sometimes at night cruzing the nearby woods to his cabin. Northern Mississippi Bobcat. She taught me so much and lives in my heart forever. Good day….