The Strength and Beauty of Weeping Willows

Weeping willows are knows as graceful giants. I have always been drawn to these breath taking trees. As I child I remember enjoying climbing and hiding in their trunks. I had several senior photographs taken under/near a weeping willow.  Now as an adult I am drawn to their gnarled and strong trunks. I am drawn to the drooping limbs that sway effortlessly in the breeze. I am in awe of their ability to stand strong while their roots are plunged into very wet soil and unstable soil.

My admiration for weeping willows stems from my sense that weeping willows speak to us in a powerful way. They challenge us to adapt to our surroundings. Weeping willows grow in wet swampy areas where the soil can be unstable yet we don't usually see them fall down in a wind storm.  This is because the roots of weeping willows grow deep and wide proving an extremely strong base. In fact the roots can grow as deep as the tree is high and spread out up to 40 feet away. As humans we too need to have a strong roots structure so we too can flourish. We need to find ways to uncover, embrace, and nurture our authentic self so we too can stand strong in the storms that come and go.

Weeping willows also challenge us to embrace our whole self. The trunks of the graceful giants are gnarled yet strong. When contrasted with the dramatic ground sweeping branches the effect is breath taking. It wouldn't have the same effect if all we saw were the gnarled trunk or just the branches. If we hide part of ourselves from the world we are not whole. When we are able to embrace and nurture our whole self we too become breath taking. We must embrace both our strength and our beauty for when we do we to can become graceful giants who weather the storms of life and show God's love for this world.

How do you nurture your authentic self? How do you nurture the strength and beauty God created in you?