The Jungle of Life

I couldn’t sleep again because of immense back pain combined with arthritis in a few key joints. Resorted to taking ibuprofen syrup. I’ve had ulcers before, one of the many side effects of ibuprofen. Finally, I grabbed my phone to jot this out.

While in bed, wide awake in pain, I had this thought going in my head… Trees!

How vulnerable are they when they first sprout? The smallest things can kill them. Animals ruthlessly step on them. Birds peck their leaves off. Insects eat them alive. Yet! They take root. They weather the storm, breathe the Oxygen & CO2, and grow back even stronger.

Their leaves become bitter to their predators. Some even put out thorns, others later shed their thorns as they become taller and stronger, providing shade and shelter to those that once threatened their very existence.

These resilient and wise beings, then develop the ability to give a head start to others. Not just ones of their own kind, but those that might appear far different. Almost foreign.

The lessons that these trees learn during their long painful journeys of perseverance, help the newcomers avoid dangers and red flags. The new members of this diverse jungle family might get a signal from the wise elderly trees to put out their thorns early. Or to make themselves bitter to the taste early on.

However, many trees can’t survive on their own. Some of them could be carrying generational damage. Others, by design, are sweet and vulnerable. These weaklings are only able to grow amongst the thorny bitter canopy until they can put out fruit for the right animals, birds & insects.

The Jungle has a beautiful collective wisdom. The weaklings attract insects, birds and animals that have diverse appetites. Appetites that include not only the weaklings’ fruits as a first course, but weeds & harmful insects that if left unchecked, can corrupt their entire canopy.

Certain trees are plain weird to the sight. Even in their first few years, they try to rise far above the rest of the canopy. These tall yet super flexible freaks of nature, sticking their heads out, live at a level higher and different than the others. They don’t even breathe the same air. Their height allows them to breathe in Nitrogen. Vital to the long term well-being of the rather down to earth members of their tribe. Malnutrition is no joke.

The weaklings with their short roots can’t weather the violent storms, so the down to earth shrubby trees help them by softening the blows. The mighty wise trees with deep widespread strong roots, form the backbone of the underground communications system. Carrying important messages to canopies that’d otherwise be left dumb, deaf & blind.

What great lessons we have to learn in Trees!