I am leaning, yes I know I am. I don’t want to lean, I want to stand tall, straight and erect. I want to carry my own weight and I have tried, but a much bigger tree is leaning on me. My roots and truck are not strong and developed enough to carry my weight and the weight of the bigger tree.
Like a frail apple tree with more fruits than its fragile branch and truck can bear, I am leaning. “Why can’t I just stand straight like the other tree?” I ask myself. The other tree has more fruits and is still standing straight, it is not leaning and has no support. “Look closely at the other tree,” you said to me. “Study it!” It is bigger, I noted, it is in a different location, it is older, its truck is wider, its root spread further, its branches are more, it is a taller tree, the fruits are different, the colour, size are all different.
There is a myriad of reasons why some lean and others don’t. Some don’t lean at all, they just drop and fall, some lean with no support and eventually fall. Some lean with support and become stronger till they no longer require support.
A tree bigger than me is leaning on me and I am leaning. Thank you for the support, I will get stronger, and I will not fall. I will carry my weight. I will stand tall, straight and elegant. “How?” You ask. “I will go deeper” I responded, but I need time, time to develop, to get stronger, to reach further. Maybe I can not bear the weight of the tree leaning on me, maybe I need to find appropriate support for the tree leaning on me. I will try my best, I will become stronger.
I am leaning, but I will straighten up, I will become strong, tall and elegant. Like an athlete with an injury I am leaning, but I will rest, I will recuperate, I will exercise, and correct my posture. I will be strong, tall and elegant.
Beautiful Ivory 