A tree is always growing in two directions at the same time. It is growing downward and it is growing upward....
What’s most interesting is that if we could see the part of the tree that’s underground, it would look very similar to the part above ground...
The root system is very similar to the fruiting system.
And what’s most interesting about the nature of a tree is that it is both gravitropic and phototropic.
Growing away from light and toward gravity is called gravitropism. That is the root system of a tree. It is, by its very nature, gravitropic.
When the seed is placed in the soil, or the moment the seed comes into contact with the soil, the tree—which at that point is just a small sprout—begins to grow downward.
Who remembers the experiment we used to do in elementary school, where we placed a bean wrapped in a piece of damp raw cotton in a clear container so we could observe and record the changes over time?
I believe this experiment was common to many people, regardless of our age.
If you recall, the sprout first begins to grow downward before it starts to develop its aerial parts and grow in a phototropic direction.
When the seed is in the soil, beneath the surface, it is in darkness and in a moist environment, and it faces natural resistance from its surroundings—from the soil around it. The root system must overcome this resistance from the soil below and find a way to penetrate downward through the soil. It must push through the mud and earth to go deeper.
When the aerial part breaks through the soil’s surface and reaches the light, it no longer faces resistance. And that part above the surface, which grows toward the light, also moves away from gravity. It must overcome the force of gravity that pulls it downward and creates resistance to its growth.
At this stage, the tree is growing, developing in two directions at the same time.
And how can this—this image—help me in my life?
This is one of the most beautiful images nature gives us, and it shows us how life works. One of the most beautiful allegories, parables of the way life is....
How?
Well, in life, just as in a garden, people will never be able to see the full extent of a tree’s growth. They can only look at its magnificent branches, its leaves, and its beautiful fruits.
The part at the base—which existed before anything else and is sometimes even larger than the part above the surface—is what allowed the tree to draw nutrients from the soil, which it then used to produce fruit.
No one will ever appreciate the effort, the dedication, the time it took for the tree to overcome the soil’s resistance, to sink deeper, to strive to go further down, to strike against rocks and stones… They’ll only look at the fruit, at the shelter that tree provides for birds and animals, at the shade it offers the shepherd who seeks rest and shelter beneath its branches.
Just like with a tree, no one will ever envy the work, dedication, and sacrifice you made to produce so much fruit.
Nowadays, with social media, only one aspect of that growth is discussed and admired. Everyone admires the results of a lifetime of work, yet they have no idea what it took—and what sacrifices were made—for the fruit to appear.
All the work and the fruit owe their existence to something that created the conditions for them to emerge.
Only when we recognize and appreciate the darkest parts of our lives—when we value them and look at them in a different light—can we see them as something that was necessary, indeed, something that was essential so that we could later grow taller and bear fruit.
Image by Giani Gheorghe from Pixabay
Original text written by 
