“It may not be the oldest landmark in the historic Hawaiian port town of Lahaina. But it’s among the most beloved,” wrote Julia Flynn Siler.
“The town’s massive banyan tree — standing taller than 60 feet, with a canopy that has grown to cover more than half an acre [is] a striking symbol of endurance for a community that has long struggled to preserve its multicultural heritage against an onslaught of transience, tourism and development pressures.”
During the wildfires, this tree tragically caught fire. But as Siler observes, “The fact that the tree is charred but still standing offers us the hope of both the tree’s and the town’s eventual revival.” You’ll find a photo of the tree at on-emotions.com.
“Charred, but still standing” is a powerful image and metaphor for the setbacks and tragedies that at times consume our lives, or the lives of our friends and loved ones.
We can suddenly feel charred, for example, by people’s words or actions, or events unfolding beyond our control, and wonder if things will ever grow again in that wounded place.
But trees, encourages Siler, have a way of “regenerating.”
And so do we.
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