The 2-inch high seedling in a plastic pot on my window sill is a Sequoiadendron Giganteum or Giant Redwood.
Lately I have taken great comfort from meditating on this not-yet-tree.
I grew it from a seed – the only successful seedling out of 4 seeds planted. The dead, empty shell of the seed from which it sprang still clings to one of it’s tiny branches. It needs to let go of what it once was.
Despite it’s present fragility it IS a ‘Giant Redwood’. It’s DNA attests to it being one of the most magnificent trees in the world.
But while it’s identity is a fact, it’s destiny can’t be taken for granted. It needs time, persistence and the right conditions to fulfil it’s potential. If planted out in the wild right now, it could be choked by weeds or trampled. Yet if cared for properly at this critical early stage, it will outgrow any weed.
There is risk – there always is in life. But knowing it’s identity is essential to me knowing best how to care for it, and one day it will thrive beyond my care and stand far taller and stronger than it’s present appearance could ever suggest.
alastair johnson 