One day as I walked in the woods, I noticed a huge tree stump where an old tree had been cut down. In a perfect circle around that stump was a group of young trees. It was a beautiful image.
The old, original tree was no longer present in the woods, but in the decomposing soil of that old tree, the young trees were thriving. As the stump decomposes, that process provides nutrients and helps the growth of everything it touches.
Human life is similar. Death claims a life, but if that life was rich and fruitful and grew large and towering, even after death that life feeds and nourishes the ones left behind.
My father may not be physically present now, but the life he led is still blessing and nourishing those he loved.
A perfect circle now surrounds my mother—daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a great great grandchild—nurtured and fed by a beautiful life.
On the other end of the organic system is the Walnut tree. It produces a substance called Juglone from its roots that is toxic to many other plants and kills them. Sometimes it’s the competition for sunlight and water that kills the plants underneath.
There are people, too, who poison the ground around them, creating a toxic climate in which things/people cannot thrive and flourish.
What are you leaving behind? What will be your legacy? Spiritual faith? Encouragement? Nourishment? A memory of service offered to humanity? Kindness and generosity?
Or will the ones growing in the roots of your life be contending with anger and animosity? With bitterness and disappointment?
How we feed our own souls, and build our own legacy, will carry on after we are gone. I hope that you are planted in good soil. I hope the environment you leave behind promotes life and wellness.
Thoughts From the Garden 