A Tree as Mentor

People sometimes look at me strangely when I tell them that one of my greatest mentors is an old-growth Douglas fir in a nearby park.

The tree is more than 500 years old. It has witnessed centuries of storms, fires, seasons, and change. It has stood through a timeline of events I can barely comprehend.

Of course, it has never spoken a word to me. But it has taught me a great deal.

Its lessons don’t come through language. They come through presence, patience, resilience, and perspective. The only requirement is that I am quiet and still enough to notice them.

I’ve learned that wisdom isn’t always something that speaks. Sometimes it’s something that exists in silence. And if we’re willing to enter that silence and truly listen, even a tree can become a mentor.

Moral of the story: Be wary of mentors who call for your attention. While they may have plumage, their roots might be shallow.