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The Tree That Changed Everything

Monday, 24th February 1997, 1:30pm. The day I lost my dad to a sudden heart attack. The weather matched my grief - bleak, dull, wet, cold, and windy.

A friend took me for a drive to help me relax. In the distance, I saw a bare tree, completely stripped of leaves. As I looked at it, I saw my dad standing there. I told my friend, but he said I was just thinking about him too much.

I kept looking at that tree for 15 minutes, thinking about everything my dad had done for me. Then the weather worsened, and I had to return home to receive visitors paying their respects.

The Diagnosis

Over the following months, I was diagnosed with PTSD, stress, anxiety and severe depression.  Doctors repeatedly advised anti-depressants, psychiatrists, counsellors, and support groups.

After one dose of anti-depressants, I felt worse and refused to continue. Counselling sessions became repetitive - I was going over the same ground again and again without progress. I stopped going.

I knew I needed to find my own way forward.

Two Years Later: The Same Tree, A Different View

In 1999, my life changed. I returned to that same spot where I'd seen the tree two years earlier.

This time, something was different.

The tree was still standing there, but instead of seeing my dad where the tree was, I saw myself. My dad was standing next to me, looking at me.

I looked back at those two years. The weather had been terrible - winter seemed endless. The tree had no leaves, no greenery, completely bare. Yet it was still standing tall.

That's when it hit me: I was like that tree.

Despite everything life had thrown at me - and continued to throw at me - I was still standing. Naked, vulnerable, alone, but standing tall.

You Are A Living Tree

Just like a tree faces different seasons throughout its life, we face different seasons in ours. Trees endure harsh weather, storms, and natural disasters, yet they stand tall.

We face similar challenges - financial struggles, health problems, illnesses, loss, trauma. But like the tree, we can remain standing.

When you feel low, focus on a tree and remember: YOU ARE A LIVING TREE.

Whatever the tree goes through in nature, we go through in life. Nature teaches us far more than we realize.

Moving Forward

This realization helped me move forward from PTSD, stress, anxiety, severe depression, without medication or traditional therapy. It won't be the same for everyone, but it worked for me.

I hope this story helps you as it has helped me.

Remember: No matter how bare the branches, no matter how harsh the storm, the tree stands tall. So can you.

#NoMeNoTrees

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