What Trees Can Teach Us

Have you ever stopped to consider the profound wisdom hidden in a simple fruit tree? Standing quietly in orchards and gardens across the world, these silent teachers offer us one of life's most powerful lessons about purpose and giving.

Consider this: A plum tree never tastes its own plums. An apple tree never savors its own apples. Year after year, they stand rooted in place, drawing nothing but water from the earth, yet producing the most magnificent fruits. And for whom? For others. For the passersby. For the hungry traveler. For the children who play in their shade. For the birds that nest in their branches. For everyone but themselves.

This simple observation carries a revolutionary truth about our own gifts and talents: They aren't meant for us alone.

Think about it – you might be sitting at home right now, perhaps feeling down or questioning your worth, yet in that very moment of self-doubt, you could pick up your phone and share words of wisdom that completely transform someone else's day. Your depression doesn't negate your ability to uplift others. Your struggles don't diminish your capacity to guide someone through their own dark times.

Just like the fruit tree, your gifts are meant to nourish others. Your wisdom, your experiences, your unique perspective – these are the fruits you bear. And just as the tree doesn't need to eat its own fruit to fulfill its purpose, you don't need to be in a perfect state to share your gifts with the world.

This doesn't mean your well-being doesn't matter. The tree still needs water, sunlight, and nutrients to produce fruit. Similarly, you must take care of yourself. But understanding that your gifts are meant to be shared can itself be healing. There's profound purpose in knowing that your struggles might become the very wisdom that helps others navigate their own challenges.

Your experiences – both good and bad – are not just for you. Your insights aren't meant to be hoarded. Your wisdom isn't meant to be kept in silence. Like the fruit of a tree, these gifts are meant to be shared, to nourish, to sustain others on their journey.

So the next time you feel inadequate or question your worth, remember the plum tree. Remember that it stands tall, year after year, creating beauty and nourishment it will never taste itself. Remember that your purpose might not be about what you can keep, but what you can give.

Your gift isn't for you – and that's exactly what makes it beautiful. That's what makes it powerful. That's what makes it worth sharing.

Stand tall, bear your fruit, and let others be nourished by what you have to offer. After all, that's exactly what you were designed to do.