7:30 BELLS: The Great Expectations of Trees

Yesterday, seeing the delicate green tips of new growth on this tree made the bells ring. Not because the new growth and trees are beautiful. Not because they frame the waterfall and pond in magnificent Point Defiance Park. No, the bells rang because they showed me what truly “great expectations” are.

This summer I am taking a personal sabbatical to reflect on new directions for my life and work. At the pond, I was fretting because summer is half over, and my progress seems lamentably slow. When I noticed the delicate new growth on the tree, I had to laugh at myself.

Think how mighty evergreen trees are! Think of their longevity and age. And yet, they only grow a few inches each year. They don’t fret over this or expect to grow ten feet in one sunny summer. Rather, they expect to change slowly, deliberately, taking their time. They expect growth to come from how they live in the sun and wind and air, not from what they do.

These are the truly great life expectations. I find great comfort in them and peace with my own small steps. So if I end the summer with my thoughts a little brighter, my imagination a little fresher, if I learn in even a small way to let doing flow from being, then I will have fulfilled some very great expectations indeed.

LORE OF THE BELL:

Adopt the great expectations of trees

and hear the bells ring.

7:30 BELLS Posts run every Tuesday.

7:30 BELLS Guest Posts run on the second Tuesday

 of every month. Join me on August 12 for a guest post with 

Crystal Kite winning author Kim Baker.