April 19th
On April 19, 1995, I was on the phone with a college bookstore in California when our office building shook and some of the windows blew out. I was working in downtown Oklahoma City.
During those first days and weeks, we learned of staggering loss. Everyone was affected. In fact, I have yet to find anyone living in Oklahoma City at that time who wasn’t in some way connected. Though the loss of life was tremendous and grief remains, our fine city has never been the same. We are better.
A few years ago, I finally dared to step onto the Oklahoma City National Memorial. There, I became reacquainted with that American Elm…placed in pictures as far back as 100 years ago. It took the brunt of the blast. Some wanted to push it over, but others insisted on nurturing it back to health.
They removed the debris and created space for healing in order to coax life back into it. Slowly, the tree began to thrive again. On the very day that you are reading this, several hundred people will have walked past and considered this tree…the Survivor Tree. Having seen no city, the rise of a city, as well as good, bad, and ugly, the Survivor Tree still stands and inspires others. This tree is resilient!
And so are you.
Every few months or so, I go to sit with the Survivor Tree to meditate. I have taken support groups there. And if you happen to be in Oklahoma City, I recommend that you take a few moments of your life to go spend some time with this tree.
Just as the Survivor Tree is resilient and has been nurtured back to life with the help of others, so can YOU! If this tree can even inspire others with its story, so can YOU!
Worth Repeating
Surviving is important; thriving is elegant.
-Maya Angelou
