Garden of the Gods is breathtaking.
I was driving through looking for a trail.
I saw something between two small peaks.
I finally found a place to park.
I trekked back looking for that perfect picture.
The Colorado air was thin, and breathing harder than normal.
I found what I thought was the right area.
I never found what I was looking for there.
I climbed between two peaks which may
Or may not have been the one I thought it was.
As I climbed higher I got a little lost.
There was a strange, peaceful feeling around me.
As I wandered in the foothills I came upon a little tree.
It looked ancient, the roots exposed and eroded.
The ground around it was rocky.
It was perhaps three feet tall and windswept.
Yet there it was, growing in a place where it shouldn't.
I suddenly realized that there was a lot in common
with me and that tree.
We had both suffered tremendous trauma in our lives.
Much of our trauma had been in our formative years.
I actually felt the presence of a creator while sitting there.
It was the first time in years that I had felt that way.
At the time, I didn't realize that I was in the throes of addiction.
A few years and many tears later I found I needed help.
During the recovery process I thought back to this little tree.
It became an anchor for my recovery.
Today I finally feel worthy to recieve love again.
And I know it's out there for me.
One special lady who will make all the difference.
Is she there, somewhere close?
I will find her someday.
And when that happens we will complete one another.
I pray that day is soon.
All of this is possible for me,
thanks to the lesson of a little tree that survived.