We are trees, grounded, lifted, nourished in some seasons, shedding in others. We all dance in the winds of our beginnings, hoping to be rooted deeply enough to stand tall, endure the chaotic winds that bully us, and harsh storms that attempt to break us.  We sink into the clay of our ancestry while reaching towards the divine light of individuation.  We reach out in the heat of summer, endure the harsh winters to flourish again and again, and yet again, steeping in the sun, our tough exteriors penetrated. We bend to the challenges, shedding limbs of no purpose, sometimes violently, while allowing branches of meaning to strengthen and bloom. None of us is like another, each displaying its own hues, textures, shape of leaves and fullness of integrity. Swaying in the winds of change, collective are our wishes to return one day to wherever-- maybe to a place of understanding of why we landed in the soil we did, why we blossomed with those colors at that time, why we stood tall when others had fallen.  We are all trees breathing, stretching, bowing in unison to the mother that receives us, the father that calls us. As our lush leaves flutter, dancing in the Earthly winds we hold hope that one day we will know for certain-- why we have been.  

Tricia Schwaba onset of 2024