Grow Like Joshua Trees

Posted on by gracesmuggler

Three images of Joshua trees. Public domain.

I love how Joshua trees grow.

More than a decade ago, I visited Joshua Tree National Park, and I found myself laughing at all the unique shapes of the branches. While driving through the park, I noticed that some Joshua trees grew their branches upward and outward, just like other kinds of trees. But some grew all their branches downward, and others looked totally windswept with all their branches to one side. Most grew in every single direction at once, resembling something akin to Medusa’s hair. This is a pretty apt analogy, because what looks like a single branch (more about that in a moment) makes jutted twists and turns itself, moving in variety of directions.

I wondered,

If all of these trees have the same basic genetic material, and are in the same environment, how could they possibly be shaped so differently?

It turns out that Joshua trees grow uniquely. When a tree is young, it grows upward for a number for many years (this is what eventually looks like the trunk and base) then right on top, on its own time, it will blossom. Once that blossom falls off, a branch begins to grow, and it will jut off in any particular direction. Then that branch will grow for some time as well, and eventually, it will blossom. Once that blossom falls, a new, jutting branch emerges, growing in its own direction. And on and on and on…

Joshua trees are slow growing, and the average lifespan is 500 years. Some are 1,000 years old! And all of those “branches,” are made of the exact same material of the trunk. Joshua trees are growing and expanding in every direction, and to make an analogy, if we think of a trunk as what is foundational, every single branch of that tree is well… foundational.

This is where I’m going with my title: Grow like Joshua trees.

Life has twists and bends too. Except that sounds trite in comparison to how it can really go. There are juts and jolts — sudden losses; sudden gifts; sudden, unexpected meaning; sudden, emerging becoming. And there are times when we find ourselves growing in a variety directions at once with many possibilities emerging.

If all things can be foundational, all things can be pivotal.
If all things can invite us to the center, all things can create possibilities.

And all things can impact the whole. Nothing is lost. Life is unfolding in variety of directions.

We can grow with that in mind.

—Renee Roederer

Signs

Posted on by gracesmuggler
Two people holding hands. They’ve written “You are” and “not alone” on their hands. Public domain.


I was biking through a neighborhood, when I saw a yard sign. In all caps, it says,

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Later, when returning to my house, I passed the yard sign again. The other side says,

YOU CAN DO IT

Those are simple statements of encouragement, but I imagine as people have passed them in cars, on bikes, and on foot, they’ve spoken into a lot of particular, complex situations. The person who put the sign out will never know those particular stories, but that person has cast encouragement in a lot of important places.

—Renee Roederer

Dahlia Dottie

Posted on by gracesmuggler
A photo of me, holding a yellow dahlia.

I’d love to tell you about the sweetest part of yesterday.

Though she isn’t pictured, I want to tell you about Dahlia Dottie. That’s not her real name, but hers is alliterative in the same way.

I was riding my bike today through my local park, and I stopped where these gorgeous dahlias were. Dottie was there, and she told me that her sister is the gardener of these beautiful flowers. I asked if I could take a few photos of them.

Then she asked, “Can I take a photo of you with them?”

“Sure,” I said. I thought it was going to be one photo.

And what followed was a ten minute photo shoot of poses she wanted me to take with the flowers. I think I have 14 pictures of me on my phone with these dahlias.

“Look over your shoulder like this.”

“Ooh, let’s get one with your bike.”

“Let’s get rid of that yellow flower for a second. Get in close to these red ones. Wouldn’t that be a great photo to send at Christmas?”

Obviously, I expected none of this, and the whole interaction was so delightful. I’m only posting a few pictures from my Dahlia photo shoot, but I’m really grateful for the ways Dahlia Dottie uplifted my day.

Anything for Bear

Posted on by gracesmuggler
Bear, the beloved Golden Doodle, lying on my foot.

This is Bear. We adore each other.

We really do. Any time I head over to the house where he typically is, he has such a visceral, full-bodied display of joy upon seeing me and greeting me. Full of smiles externally, and full of oxytocin internally, I am also full of pets and boops for this sweet boy.

Last night, I was standing near a table in conversation with people in my community, when I noticed this furry muppet come near and place himself on my foot. Sometimes, he just wants to touch me while snoozing.

My foot fell asleep and it was the best my-foot-is-asleep possible. I just let this happen, of course.

Anything for Bear.

—Renee Roederer