So I was wondering whether or not to share this, when I remember this old thread, and thought it would be a perfect place.
Last night as I got home from work, I was contemplating the two plum trees that we have in front of our house. They are about 10 years old, and prior to last fall we have never trimmed or pruned them. As a result they had grown completely out of control. One had big long branches that covered up part of the driveway, and they both contained way too many branches, to the point where sometimes they would break under the weight of the fruit, and eventually it became impossible to even access most of the fruit because it was so hidden inside, and would end up rotting on the branches, and attracting all the ants, wasps, bees and flies in the neighborhood.
So last fall, tired of dealing with that every spring, I went to town on both of the trees. When I was done, they were not pretty to look at. Because I had to remove all the branches that were rubbing against each other or intertwined, or growing over the driveway, the trees were left with only the thickest and oldest limbs.
All Winter I would look at my sad little trees and shake my head. They looked so pathetic and naked. And many times I wondered what my neighbors thought of my hacked up stubby branches. But eventually spring came, at first there were just a few leaves here and there, but eventually after lots of rain and sunshine, the trees were soon covered with a big beautiful canopy of green.
So pretty were they, that it took me several months before I noticed, that not one plum existed on either tree. For a minute, I questioned myself. After all, the trees HAD produced fruit in the past, maybe I should not have trimmed them so drastically. I sat there a few minutes, just kind of staring off into space, contemplating, and eventually reminding myself that though the trees had produced fruit, it was impossible to access and so usually rotted, that it attracted the worst kind of outdoor pests, and if we had continued to let them grow as they were, eventually the problems would have been impossible to correct and the trees would have had to be entirely removed.
And then I had that momentary epiphany where for a moment you see something so clearly, that all you can do is gasp and let it sink in to you psyche. At that moment, I saw myself as one of those trees, who had been planted well, but grew crooked and out of control and in too many directions. And though I produced fruit, it was often hidden and inaccessible, and often fell to the ground unharvested. And I got to a place, where the only option left was to cut off everything that was hindering me, or that had grown crookedly, leaving only a few solid stubby branches.
My winter, where nothing grew, and I was just a chopped off tree in limbo, lasted years before the spring came and once again I became a healthy flourishing tree. And maybe I'm not fruitful right now, but I have hope that when the fruit returns in the next season of my life, it will be so much better than it was before.
__________________
“There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting.”
What an incredible truth and reality DG! You have quite a talent for writing, and expressing your thoughts!
I have often thought the same things, as each year I would cut my gorgeous rose bushes back to almost nothing, and they looked so sad and pitiful all winter, but... come spring, the most amazing show of beauty and growth would take place, and the new growth would always outdo the pruning job from the fall before.
So... I am know that this "pruning" time that you have been through will indeed lead you to greater heights and beauty than you've seen before... thank you for sharing your journey with us... really glad you're back
So I was wondering whether or not to share this, when I remember this old thread, and thought it would be a perfect place.
Last night as I got home from work, I was contemplating the two plum trees that we have in front of our house. They are about 10 years old, and prior to last fall we have never trimmed or pruned them. As a result they had grown completely out of control. One had big long branches that covered up part of the driveway, and they both contained way too many branches, to the point where sometimes they would break under the weight of the fruit, and eventually it became impossible to even access most of the fruit because it was so hidden inside, and would end up rotting on the branches, and attracting all the ants, wasps, bees and flies in the neighborhood.
So last fall, tired of dealing with that every spring, I went to town on both of the trees. When I was done, they were not pretty to look at. Because I had to remove all the branches that were rubbing against each other or intertwined, or growing over the driveway, the trees were left with only the thickest and oldest limbs.
All Winter I would look at my sad little trees and shake my head. They looked so pathetic and naked. And many times I wondered what my neighbors thought of my hacked up stubby branches. But eventually spring came, at first there were just a few leaves here and there, but eventually after lots of rain and sunshine, the trees were soon covered with a big beautiful canopy of green.
So pretty were they, that it took me several months before I noticed, that not one plum existed on either tree. For a minute, I questioned myself. After all, the trees HAD produced fruit in the past, maybe I should not have trimmed them so drastically. I sat there a few minutes, just kind of staring off into space, contemplating, and eventually reminding myself that though the trees had produced fruit, it was impossible to access and so usually rotted, that it attracted the worst kind of outdoor pests, and if we had continued to let them grow as they were, eventually the problems would have been impossible to correct and the trees would have had to be entirely removed.
And then I had that momentary epiphany where for a moment you see something so clearly, that all you can do is gasp and let it sink in to you psyche. At that moment, I saw myself as one of those trees, who had been planted well, but grew crooked and out of control and in too many directions. And though I produced fruit, it was often hidden and inaccessible, and often fell to the ground unharvested. And I got to a place, where the only option left was to cut off everything that was hindering me, or that had grown crookedly, leaving only a few solid stubby branches.
My winter, where nothing grew, and I was just a chopped off tree in limbo, lasted years before the spring came and once again I became a healthy flourishing tree. And maybe I'm not fruitful right now, but I have hope that when the fruit returns in the next season of my life, it will be so much better than it was before.
You cut your hair?
.
.
Just kidding! Jesus said he prunes every branch, did he not, that they may bring forth more fruit.
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