The Palwee Tree

Moments of reflection, or life’s epiphanies can happen when we least expect it, in the strangest of circumstances. Mine happened yesterday while I watched my favorite mango tree being cut down. I marked this tree years ago to be cut, it was big, didn’t bear much fruit and what little fruit it did bear was out of my reach – and as if sensing it’s impending demise it made a turn for the best, bearing fruit with more frequency than any other tree around, mangoes were now on the lower branches within reach, like the tree found new life. I enjoyed reaping the harvest, taking photos of my harvest and posting them online for friends to see and envy my harvest.

But this tree had grown so big that it stifled the growth of every other tree around it, even fruit bearing trees that I had much preferred initially, but at the time it had not occurred to me that this one tree which I was reluctant to get rid of was the cause of the other trees not growing properly and not bearing any fruit. The trees in it's shadow all leaned away from it searching desperately for sunlight and space to grow. I watched as this tree I loved fell to the ground, loud crashing sound - you could almost hear it cry, every fiber of it's existence broken as it slowly collapsed, in that moment when it hit the ground I felt its pain, I felt my pain and it occurred to me what I felt had little to do with the tree. I prioritized my second favorite mango tree at the cost of my favorite mango tree and the other fruit trees around it - much like I neglected my first love for my second, blind to the effect it was having on them; in the scenario of the tree I don't know which tree I am, if I even was a tree; perhaps I was the man cutting down the tree, severing ties with my past - I'm not sure. 

In that moment yesterday that tree seemed a metaphor for my personal life for the last few years. The center of focus was the wrong place, the effects were felt by all, but I was oblivious as I got what I wanted and cared little for the blowback. As with every experience in my life I attempt to learn from them - this was indeed a hard lesson to learn. I have few regrets in my life, but this was definitely one of those regrets. Time to press forward; live laugh and love.