I found comfort in a place that is uprooted and exposed today. This is a healing tree and it is sacred ground for me.  There are so many of these abandoned remnants all along the Pacific Coast shoreline where I live. They are beautiful and majestic. There is a deep sense of mystery that surrounds them. They have stories to tell and insights to reveal for those searching for this kind of meaning. They are the forgotten and disregarded elders of the forest.

In its fallen state on the beach, the tree reveals its massive root system. I am mesmerized by the complex visual details before me. Normally the roots are well hidden below ground so we really don’t consider them much when looking at the tree. It is a powerful experience to realize that so much of what makes us who we are can remain concealed and unperceived by those around us.

This root system once played a vital role in the existence and survival of the tree. We sometimes lose sight of how our roots anchor us to place and time in our lives. They have the capacity to sustain and connect us back to the earth.

Roots must grow and branch out to promote health and sustain life. They must expand into new areas of the soil. Roots are the conduit to untapped energy and strength. If a tree needs solid root system to reach the sky, so too must we be firmly grounded in love.

A unique energy emanates from the tree while I sit quietly listening to the final lapping of distant ocean waves. It seems to convey empathy and compassion as it rests here. It shares the burden of an untold journey. We are all lost and adrift in some way. I carefully balance my love letters at its base because I know deep down that there can be no healing of a lone and solitary heart without love.

May love grow and expand so that there may be courage to reach our greatest heights.