With the winter winds of late, any lingering leaves that were hanging on the trees are now gone. The remains are skeletons of what were plush, green examples of life just a few months ago. But those bare branches are not dead, at least not most of them. They are simply preparing for another emergence that will happen in just a few short months.
The growth of trees is truly amazing, and the comparison to the human body is an easy one to make, especially as we work through own forms of hibernation this winter.
Think about how a tree and a human body both have physical trunks (our cores) and branches (our arms and legs) that reach out from the center. You may even find a tree or two that look like humans. If you watched “H.R. Pufnstuf” on Saturday mornings in the 1970s or were amused by Groot in “Guardians of the Galaxy” in recent years, you know exactly what I am talking about.
Our reliance on water and the sun makes us similar to trees as well. Take away one or both, and we are in big trouble. Expose us to water and the sun, and we grow and thrive.
The bark on a tree is similar to our skin, a protective layer that holds us all together. When the cuts are too deep, we can become infected with deadly diseases. Over time, we can also both become hollow and suffer slow deaths.
Although trees and humans can survive alone, we both do much better in groups or communities. But put too many in one location, and some of us will be weeded out naturally.
Maybe the most interesting comparison between humans and trees is how we need each other. As humans, we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Trees do the opposite by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Country music artist Dolly Parton has been quoted saying, “Storms make trees take deeper roots” with an obvious nod to how life’s difficult challenges make us stronger human beings, too.
So, go ahead. Hug a tree. Or better yet, make a plan this spring to plant one… or 10.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707