May Gratitude be Evergreen

Evergreen trees never lose their leaves throughout the year. They absorb water from the earth through their roots and receive sunlight all year round.

And from these trees, there is something we can learn about gratitude:

In the same way that evergreen trees always have leaves, gratitude is a way to recognize and appreciate what helps us grow, like how the sun and water support trees. Evergreen trees cannot stop winter from occurring; the seasons and cold temperatures will always find a way through the woods. However, there is much to be observed about them during this time.

While humans experience change differently than evergreens, we can still draw inspiration from their steadfastness and the life they sustain. Here is an imaginative approach to thinking about an evergreen tree’s world:

May Gratitude be Evergreen

I face the sky as my roots

grip the earth with a gentle strength,

all of me bearing witness

to the cycles of morning and night,

the ebb and flow of seasons.

Groundedness is my nature,

for I have risen up from the forest floor,

to breathe under the sky…

I am fully alive right here.

My bark is weathered by storms and time,

History is carved within my rings,

I am surrounded by shifts and change,

and yet still, I remain.

May the sap’s silent journey upward whisper dreams for tomorrow.

May the nesting birds amidst my branches make this place feel like home.

May oxygen flow abundantly and freely wherever there is a need.

May gratitude be evergreen.