The raw beauty of the trees in winter show us that there is power is letting go.

They gradually release every leaf that so beautifully adorned their branches in the warmer months. Effortlessly, they let go and bare themselves to the world, shedding every layer of who they once were.

In the brutality of the winter elements, they stand…nude, fierce, and unapologetic. Through the cold, rain, wind, and snow, they stand in solidarity, rooted in the depths of the earth, with their branches reaching proud toward the skies. As the winter passes, they gracefully bloom once again, evolving into a stronger, more beautiful version of who they once were.

Just like the trees, we also go through the winters of the soul, sometimes known as the dark night of the soul. During these times, we are forced to face ourselves and gracefully let go of the “leaves” that no longer serve us. As we shed our layers, we are left to face life with vulnerability. We look inside to face our brokenness, analyzing every part of our journey and questioning how we arrived at the current destination.

If in these moments we tap into the wisdom of the trees, we learn to be unapologetic in our vulnerability. We gracefully let go of our labels and release our identity. We are no longer smart, ignorant, fit, fat, kind, selfish, or whatever other labels we have allowed in. We simply are. We firmly ground ourselves in our spirituality (our root), knowing that the elements of life cannot break our soul. We stand in solidarity alongside those walking this soul-wrenching, beautiful journey of life.

And then it happens. One day we wake up and see the sun is slowly rising, warming our once frigid soul. The soil becomes moist and inviting and we can safely loosen our grip. The buds of new leaves start to form. We recognise that it is now another spring in our journey. We allow the beautiful leaves and flowers to bloom, more vibrant and intense than ever.

We embrace our newfound beauty, but with the knowing that they will only be with us for the season. There are no attachments to the things that so beautifully adorn our souls. We simply observe the beauty of the landscape and allow it to be part of what propels us to a place of growth and greater expansion. But in the end, we determine ourselves worthy simply because we exist in this beautiful universe.

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