Linden’s Legends Part Four: Wisdom of Winter
Every tree has a story. Mine has enchanted entire forests for centuries.
…In Part Three, Linden bared his soul and his love of music. In Part Four of his story, Linden imparts wisdom that only comes from living life to the fullest.
Nearly three centuries have varnished me with love, friendship, and understanding. And from nose to tail, I now stand at least 100 squirrels in height. In the winter of my long life, I breathe deep and rest in the majesty of knowing. My boughs are barren in the season’s stark splendor and fertile with wisdom even the eagle would envy.
Through the years, I have been everywhere without ever leaving home. From my branches, year-round cardinals chide prodigal snowbirds returning with tales of hardship and adventure. Generations of deer and floppies usher curious offspring into my grasp to learn how to grow strong and clever. At the base of my gnarled roots, talented artists, students and scientists chronicle my time and selfie their own.
In winter, no tree is dying. Not really. Instead, we enjoy a much needed respite during the shorter days and subdued activities. As I wait for Sun’s waning temperature to warm the corrugated folds of my soul, I reflect.
Memories ripple as if across icy river waters, frozen in time and flowing just the same. I recall so many trees, some cut down in their prime, others aged and pulpy. Many live on as the cherished pages of books-and the shelves that house them. Others make music as instruments or provide shelter.
Lindens live on in the legacies of story.
Over time, I’ve discovered a lot. I know that even in an ebbing woodland, beauty sprouts from ashes. I see everything change and nothing change. And I recognize that while growth happens, maturity is optional.
I have also learned to value the big importance of small things. The frosted tranquility of my meadows. The clamoring silence of snow-each snowflake thrums through the air with keen resolve to join the greater assembly, not melt alone.
Like snowflakes and fingerprints, every leaf in all the world throughout infinity is unique. No two are alike. But I think we are all the same in that we differ. That we each have our own purpose. That we matter.
Together, we are legends in our own right.
Originally published at https://lunastationquarterly.com on November 20, 2022.
