Much has been written about palm trees and their symbol of resilience. Palms trees are quite flexible- bending to 40-50 degrees. When heavy winds blow, the palms just go with it. Recently it was reported that the palms in Fort Myers Florida survived Hurricane Ian. Not only did they survive but in some ways the winds helped them thrive, for the heavy winds prune and shape the palms by having blowing off many of its dead fronds.

One of the reasons palms can withstand the gales, is that they do not have branches which can get in the way with wind. I think of our New England oak trees and the branches that have been easily pulled down by heavy winds. Most times the main trunk of the oaks stand firm, but occasionally some of the heavier branches can easily fell the tree, causing a right old mess. But the oaks are quite strong, good for building.

Another attribute of the palms is that they do not have large-diameter singular roots, rather a many smaller-diameter dense root system which spreads out among the sandy soils. This helps the palms stay planted on the ground. In a sense, their roots are like a multi-four point cane rather than one-tipped cane.

In general I am not been a big fan of tropical botany. I like the wild cottage gardens of England and more northern climes. But in reading about the resiliency of the palm tree and the way various tropical plants have developed to withstand the onslaught of extreme weather (monsoons, hurricanes, typhoons, to name a few) I am once again in awe of God’s design.

God made just the right tree to be in that tropical situation. Just like the oak is suited for our climate. It reminds me that there is such beauty and diversity in God’s creation, for each created thing has its special design. Sure, there are similarities among species and even natural design. Why wouldn’t God, in a sense, “reuse” a pattern or process. Apparently the palm is really more related to grasses than to trees (Another reason it can withstand the winds- the cross section of a trunk looks more like a collection of wires instead of rings. Makes me think of the pencil analogy that I wrote about the other week.)

Once again, God’s ways are a paradox: we are each uniquely created by Him and known individually by Him, yet there are many similarities and commonalities among us. We are both similar and different to one another. Perhaps that dichotomy is part of God’s design. By sharing our differences with each other, it helps us learn to adapt and be resilient. Just like the lessons learned from the palm tree:

1) Learn to bend and be flexible. Not only is that a good principle for our physical beings but it is important for our mental health as well. In psychology they call it cognitive flexibility- the brains ability to adapt to new, changing or unplanned events. It makes sense that those who can adapt to those unforeseen circumstances can manage the change better. I think of the first time that I attempted to ski- I was so tense and trying to control every movement down the slope that I ended up falling most of the time and had a horrible day. It was when I finally traversed back and forth down the slope, going along with the ride, not tensing if I seemed to be “slipping” that I finally skied down the mountain and actually enjoyed it.

2) Don’t hold on to branches. One thing that helps the tall palms withstand the wind onslaught is that they do not have spindly branches that can “catch” the wind and so cause them to topple. Because we have had to move all our possessions recently, I have been thinking and doing a bit of reorganizing, removing and ridding ourselves of all this “stuff”. There are a couple of items that as I unpack I think to myself, “Really? You had them move that?” I feel I should apologize to a long ago friend who, when a group of us moved him to a new place, had us move his recycling. There were some of us who grumbled about that. Now finding paper products, such as coffee cups and plates amidst our boxes made me think that I was not too far away from this friend’s mentality- although in my defense, our paper products were unused.

3) Shed those things that are finished. When conditions aren’t good for the palm, it will shed its branches. They are the botanical Goldilocks: too much water- brown fronds, too little water- brown fronds. Just enough- green, healthy fronds. Once a frond turns brown it is dead and is not providing any nutrients to the plant. The best thing to do is to remove them. Hurricanes and high winds are good for the palms as it naturally pulls off the unhealthy parts. I have been thinking about activities and my time. What things that I am currently doing that are not serving me in what I need to accomplish? Are there activities that, while once fine for my situation, are no longer necessary? Do I need to prune them out of my day?

What about you? How are you with bending and swaying when life is swirling around you? Are you holding on to something that is most likely going to break off? What have you learned from others? From nature? From adversity? From others’ adversity? Can you “go with the flow”? Sway along with the storm?

As I am writing this post, our contractor is starting the demoing of our basement. While we know the house is over 100 years old and have expected to find unforeseen problems, the discovery of wet, rotted wood and consequently termites has thrown me for a loop. I have had to remind myself of the swaying palms!