Evidence of Growth
I didn't know how ugly it was until I brought it home. But by then, it was too late: there was no going back. The roots had already been severed.
This is the story of how my family adopted our 2023 Christmas tree.
Last year we indulged in an over-the-top, commercialized tree-choosing adventure at a large tree factory about 90 minutes down the road from our home in northern Indiana. To balance out that experience, we opted for a quieter mom-and-pop tree farm a mere 20 minutes away. It was a no-frills setup with a collapsible table, a bucket full of saws, and a lone bundle of twine.
It was perfect!
We stomped out into the field and surveyed the evergreen candidates that would soon fill our home with holiday cheer. As we narrowed down our search, our eyes were naturally drawn toward the tallest one of the pack. I suppose it's human nature to notice the tallest trees first, but there were also economic implications in play, since this family farm charged the same flat rate for every tree, regardless of height. I'm an optimizer at my core, so it made logical sense to maximize our price per linear foot!
The saw made quick work of the trunk. Cash changed hands, and we headed for home. We placed her into our tree stand and then covered her in ornaments and lights. When we stepped back to survey our work, we were surprised to notice that the tree a noticeable case of scoliosis! How had we overlooked this? I suppose our quest to maximize our dollars blinded us to the asymmetry of our tree. Whoops. It'll have to do for this year - but hey, at least we're giving her a nice, warm home??
When we were purchasing the tree, we made small talk with the lady who owned the farm. We asked her if she knew how old our 8-foot tall tree was. She explained that you could easily tell the age of evergreen trees. On pine trees, the branches form in a circular pattern around the trunk. There's about 8-14 inches between each circle of branches, and this "blank space" demonstrates the amount that the tree grew throughout that year. In good years, the expanse widens significantly. In bad years, the distance is much smaller.
That got me thinking... what if humans displayed their own evidence of growth? What if there was a permanent record on display for all to see - evidence of the years of intense pain or struggles where growth was nearly imperceptible? Or how about the years of happiness and joy where growth was plentiful? As humans, we undoubtedly carry the scars from our past, but the outward signs aren't nearly as obvious as how pine trees display their memories.
Perhaps they could be.
If you want to document your personal growth, times of intentional reflection might serve you well. Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and memories will not only help you process your past, it will serve as a guidepost to where you've been.
Here are some reflection rhythms that you might consider:
- Weekly Rollup - every Sunday, write down a few key moments or memories from the past few days
- Monthly Recap - on the 1st of the month, summarize the previous month's important events and learnings
- Quarterly Reflection - use this time to review your last three months and get introspective about your growth and your struggles
- Annual Review - in early January, set aside half a day to walk down the memory lane of all your rollups, recaps, and reflections to summarize your year
A personal rule I follow is "if it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist". Choose any or all of the time frames above and add them to your calendar. Take a minute to do it right now, while your motivation is still strong! Over time you'll build strong supporting evidence of your own growth. Be sure to share your findings with someone near and dear to you, to celebrate the big wins and cheer you on during the tough stretches!
PS - next year, I just might ditch evergreens in favor of a saguaro cactus!
