Strength and Perseverence

Yesterday was a good day.

I had accomplished some things that were really important to me, and huge steps forward.

And I felt strong.

I felt at peace.

I had an appointment with my counselor at the end of the day. She wanted me to learn to "anchor" that feeling in my brain, so that I can access it when I need to feel that way again. We did this partly through me choosing an image to represent how I was feeling.

I chose the image of a tree growing strong and proud out of the side of a mountain.

For me, this image is so powerful and so representative of how I feel about myself at this time.

A tree like this is alone, but yet has all the nutrients and resources it needs to grow strong, and tall, and beautiful.

It withstands all of the seasons and still thrives. When the heat of the summer sun scorches it, it seeks the water it needs through it's roots. And it thrives.

When the thrashing winds of the autumn threaten to break its' trunk and push it down, it digs its roots in deeper and stands strong until the winds pass. And it thrives.

When the deep, long freeze of winter comes and the beautiful branches are weighed down by layers of ice and snow, the tree maintains the nutrients it has stored in its core for that very purpose. And it thrives.

So, when the spring sun arrives, and the snow and ice melt away, the tree is ready to burst forth new buds, which grow into beautiful leaves, and produce life-giving fruit. And it thrives.

No matter what adversities life brings to this tree, no matter what happens that this tree cannot control, this tree has everything it needs within itself to not only survive, but thrive.

And thrive it does, season after season, adversity after adversity, blessing after blessing, growing stronger, more graceful, and more beautiful each year.