Welcoming The Wind
I recently created a series of images that I entitled “The Earth Speaks In Metaphor” where I pair bodyscapes with landscape images. The motivation behind this series was a mantra I have recently adopted: everything is about everything.
This last year+ it has become increasingly clear to me that if we are attune to the happenings around us and willing to be present and vulnerable, the more we are able to connect with all of it. We connect with what the rhythms of the earth and connect to the people around us.
Our struggles are not all that unique. The human experience is truly universal; other people and our surroundings have so much to teach us about moving through those struggles…if we’re willing to open ourselves up to the often vulnerable act of holding our own thoughts loosely and paying attention to the lessons.
One of the ways the earth speaks to us is in the way trees grow.
Biosphere 2 is a controlled environment that was built for scientists to learn more about how nature’s systems operate. As the trees grew within the biosphere, they noticed they were growing more quickly than they do in the wild, but the trees would collapse before reaching their full maturity.
Why would this perfect, man-made environment yield weak trees?
Turns out the biosphere was missing wind.
Trees actually need this uncomfortable element to grow stronger. The wind pressing against a tree helps it to develop reaction wood, which is the strongest type of wood a tree produces. The more stress the wind causes to a tree, the faster the tree produces this protective wood.
The wind also signals to the tree to grow the roots necessary for support. Wind causes a tree to grow buttress roots (the roots growing more upward) and also causes the roots to grow deeper and take on shapes necessary for anchoring (on the lee wide) and roots necessary for flexing (on the windward side).
(Nature also teaches us lessons about engineering, and as a math nerd I find that delightful.)
Without wind, the trees grow more quickly, but leaves them unable to withstand the elements.
Facing difficulties is necessary for the tree to grow strong, but they’re only able to adapt because they have the tools they need to grow systems to face the opposition.
Having the ability to build adaptive strategies, the trees must face the challenges in order to utilize and fully develop their strength.
These factors: having the adaptive strategies and facing the elements working in tandem are what allows trees to become resilient.
Turns out when we play God, we tend to mess stuff up by removing things that are actually good for our growth. As a parent this can get tempting at times as well. We often want to shield our children from the elements, but that cannot be the goal. The goal is to be there for our kids, providing the secure attachments and adaptive strategies for the inevitable elements they face. This is what helps them grow the supportive roots and wood to go off on their own and thrive.
But let’s be honest, even as adults we are often guilty of these “self-protective” practices. How often do we avoid the pain of life in an effort to shield ourselves? Avoid the pain at all costs and instead dissociate or self-medicate. Maybe even shift the blame to someone else in lieu of turning inward to face our flaws.
These might lead to seemingly quick growth, but it’s not lasting.
We might watch others treat life as a sprint and grow envious of the ways they seem to have somehow ‘figured out the system’. But the sprint is an effort to trade some semblance of flourishing in the here and now for the longevity afforded by investing in long term growth.
We know the outcome of that kind of shallow root, quick growth strategy. Don’t let it tempt you. Don’t let it fool you.
So as I stand with my face to the wind (oftentimes pummeled by wind), I will remember that I might not be able to see the reaction wood growing to help me survive the storm. And my roots forging through the earth are seemingly invisible. But that fruit. The fruit is coming and it’s going to be sweet.
