Is this picture a miniature model of the Manhattan skyline? Or is this what remains of a 120 year-old maple tree. Our ability to see simultaneous stories in the unfolding of life events is a defining feature of human consciousness.
In one story, I ache about having brought this tree, my elder, to a premature end. Thirty feet above the ground, this mighty maple forked into two gigantic limbs, one of which was compromised by rot. It hung ominously over my 12’ by 12’ office that is tucked into a wooden fortress on my property. I tried to prolong the inevitable. I had this limb cabled to another tree, hoping to hold it steady as long as possible, hoping further that when it fell, the cable would direct the falling limb away from my office. The best laid plans… Last month a major thunderstorm crashed it onto my roof. It also compromised the second limb, creating an even greater threat. I paid to have the rest of this mighty maple taken down. In this version of my story, I need to honor this elder statesman, a tree who has held court over so many seasons, so many sunrises and so many sunsets.
In another story, this mighty maple shows me a metaphor for our work at my non-profit Mind Body Solutions. We help people transform trauma, loss, and disability into hope and potential. We help them realize the beauty of what remains as the cornerstone of a better life, not something they must overcome.
I know firsthand how to realize a simultaneous story. At 13, my spine was severed, rendering me completely paralyzed from the chest down. My tree had fallen. When I started yoga, when I actually started listening to what remained, a different skyline appeared. This is why I founded Mind Body Solutions. We help people realize a different skyline.
I have a student Bruce who is dying of ALS. This means his body is shutting down while his mind stays perfectly intact. His tree is falling. Bruce has been a student at Mind Body Solutions for over a year. We are watching him take our teaching and inhabiting his whole body even though he is losing physical ability almost weekly. He is realizing a simultaneous story during the relentless onslaught of his disease. Lucky for us, Bruce is one of the most articulate people I have ever met. He has so much to share about the skyline of human consciousness as our bodies fall. (In fact, he and I will have a public conversation about the ever-changing mind-body relationship, moderated by Cathy Wurzer at the University of St. Thomas on October 29th. Please join us. Watch our Facebook page for details.)
I wheel out to this mighty maple and sit quietly. I am so grateful for his time, for his strength. I put my hand on his fading presence and I embrace all of my stories. My heart breaks open but also unexpectedly heals.