I’ve been taking a lot of walks lately. One of my favorite things to do is look up while I am on trails and direct my eyes to the top of the trees. I love the feeling of the trees surrounding me. For some reason it makes me feel grounded and at peace.

Trees are tall and strong. They’ve been doing their own thing for quite awhile, for years and years, in fact. Some trees are older than us and they have been through a lot. Trees don’t choose when the winds come or when lightening strikes. Sometime limbs are torn off and they break, but somehow they stand strong and tall anyways.

I am learning slowly in life, we don’t get to choose our pain. We don’t get to choose the things that happen to us or to those around us. Sometimes we are forced to be strong. Sometimes it’s the only option. Some of us didn’t choose the dark parts of our story but as darkness grew, sometimes strength follows.

Whether we choose the pain or choose strength, both are always at our reach.

We can choose to be tall and strong. We don’t know if more is coming but we have it in us to survive and thrive again, once more.

In our journey, we are surrounded by other tall and strong trees. Things have been taken from these trees. They have been through their fair share of storms too but they are still there. They are standing tall and strong.

Somehow it feels a little better knowing that.

So once again, I look up. I see the trees. I close my eyes this time. I breathe deep. I allow my arms to relax and my shoulders loosen. Some of us didn’t choose the seasons we are in, but we can choose strength anyways.

We are taller and stronger than we were before and we will continue to be tall and strong with the storms that continue to come our way.