The apple tree - a story of hope

Today is Earth Day 🌎. It is with gratitude and wonder that I acknowledge all the blessings and teaching the natural world offers 🙏.

To mark the occasion, I want to share a story of hope from my own garden🌷.

Last year our beautiful apple tree sapling 🍎 sprouted new buds and blossom in the Spring 🌱and grew tall and proud in the summer sun.

The seasons changed, as is the natural order of things. 🌞Summer turned Autumn, blossom grew into fruit and the autumn winds came🍂.

The sapling was brave and beautiful, her branches flexed and shifted in the wind💨. But, eventually, the weight of the burden of fruit she was carrying was too great for her young and tender branches.

🌬🌬One night, the wind blew hard and strong and the apple tree snapped in two.

The garden grieved, the birds 🕊missed the high leafy branches they had enjoyed resting in, the family were sad, the apples had not had chance to ripen to maturity and the tree had been so beautiful.

The seasons changed, as is the natural order of things. Autumn shifted to winter and the birds left and the rains came☔️. This year the rains decided to stay 🌧.

The winter seemed long, the sky seemed grey, the ground was wet.

The garden felt bereft of life. It felt like hope had flown away with the migrating birds . It seemed like nothing would grow, bloom and blossom again.

And yet, the seasons changed, as is the natural order of things. Winter turned into Spring🌱🌷. The sun came out, the birds returned and the trees began to bud and blossom once more.

The brave apple tree remembered how good it was to feel the sun 🌞on her bark, the birds enjoying her shelter🕊, the blossom in her branches🌸. She rejoiced at the rejuvenating power of Mother Earth 🌎and her own magnificent resilience💪🌈🙏.