Beauty Grows Slowly

Something that must have stood the test of time to gain true and complete beauty is an old tree. I love old trees, especially big old oaks. For me the trees are often the best part of visiting places that have changed little with the passing of time. If you haven’t noticed it is usually the places that have gone through time with little change that are the most beautiful. Places like Italy, an old university, grand old buildings, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite Valley.

In those places the changes that have occurred are slow coming and only add to the beauty of those places. Trees are a part those slow changes, slowly growing taller, fuller and more gnarly.

I love driving to an old part of town and finding the tree lined neighborhoods. They have to be old trees who have spent the years stretching out across the sky to met their branches above the center of the road.

The new parts of towns have thin spindly trees that provide little shade and little joy. I am reminded of the saying “Only God can make a tree” and want to add “and it takes time.”