The lessons of the Bristlecone Pine
In February 2012 Anne Marie Bennett, creator of Kaleidosoul.com, Your SoulCollage® Playground published an article about the Bristlecone Pines , trees that grow in isolated groves under the harshest of conditions. They are nourished through their wounds. These trees are more than 5,000 years old and thought to be the oldest living organisms known to mankind. A piece from her article states
“What I take from this beautiful gift from Nature (bristlecone pine) is that even in a difficult environment, even when chaos is blowing all around me and I am laid low to the cold, cold ground, I am still growing. I am still being nourished. There is always a way to open to nourishment, even if that means allowing my wounds to be the vessels for new growth and sustenance.”
Anne Marie included a SoulCollage® challenge, and Alyson Dempsey decided to take the challenge. Here is what she wrote about her cards and the story of the Bristle Cone pines relative to her own life journey
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Thinking about the lessons of the Bristlecone Pines brings me many feelings inside. Feelings of sadness for the pain, yes, yet realizing I have found my inner strength. This Soul of mine has been through a lot.
Four of my SoulCollage® cards are from feeling and thinking about the lessons of the Bristlecone pines.
The first card is of a girl bowing her head in deep , deep pain but somehow in the midst of the horrible pain she finds there a flower blooming within her soul. There are blooms supporting her aching body. There are icebergs, but in the sky shines a wondrous light of hope for the girl has found amazing inner strength.
The second card, I ask the mountain “Why am I hurting?” and I realize that the mounrtain climbing has made me inwardly stronger and this inner strength is beautiful.
The third card is of a woman swinging on a rope – courage. People have told me I have courage. There has been a lot of pain – It’s hard to believe I have courage but I am starting to believe I do! The courage has come from me wanting meaning and love and acceptance in my life. The wounds of my illness have brought a chance for the courage and inner strength to grow and develop in me. The Bristlecone Pines and I are alike in that way – yes, yes!
The 4th card is of a striped fish swimming in the opposite direction of a whole school of solid similar looking fish.
This lone fish shows her scars from the inside out so she may appear a little different but she holds her chin up and is not afraid to be different. She swims on and swims on. The Bristlecone Pine has shown stripes on its bark like the fish shows on her skin. The trees and fishes stripes show pain but make both the tree and the fish special and unique and an inspiration.
I think I have a friend in the bristlecone pine. I think we understand each other. I am grateful to have learned about such an amazing, courageous, strong and inspirational living being!
Alyson Dempsey
