Nothing like nature to give you a dose of humility. To put you in a more accurate state of mind, reminding you that you are not the beez neez, or the greatest thing since sliced bread. To remind you that this world does not revolve around you and that it did not skip a beat when you were born and will not skip a beat when you die. To remind you that your personal stresses, problems, or issues are such a small and minuscule part of this world.
It almost draws a laugh out of me as I sit here looking up at a 2,200 year old sequoia tree. This tree was alive and growing when I was stressing out about which major to choose my freshman year of college. It was there when my dad was stressing out about which major to choose. It was there when Abraham Lincoln was stressing out about whether to accept his nomination and run for President or not. It was there when King Alfred the Great was keeping the Vikings from taking over all of England. It was there when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane knowing what was about to come. I’m not saying those were not stressful or monumental times. What I am saying is that this tree has lived through all of it and is still watching our world from its’ throne. What would this tree say if it could talk? What stories would it tell? I spent 2 days of my 11,220 days on this earth so far walking amongst these giants. And these giants spent 2 days of their 600,000 to 1,000,000 day lives (and counting) looking down at me.
Everything about them is humbling.
The size of General Sherman, General Lee, and the countless named and unnamed sequoias is just baffling. You think you have entered into the land that Homer wrote about in the Iliad and at any moment a 40’ giant could come thundering through the forest. They command your awe and respect as they tower above you, some stretching over 270 feet tall. And as the largest tree in the world, by sheer mass, General Sherman sits 36 feet in diameter at his trunk. And six stories up he’s still nearly 18’ wide. It’s hard to comprehend the sheer size of these ancient living towers.
Giants they are. Creating a right sense of self. It’s funny to learn so much from something that’s never said a word.
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