At the lake near my home there was an old tree that was truly majestic. It was 70 feet tall and set right at the waters edge. It provided shade to generations of fishing men and was home to countless squirrels and birds over the years. In the Fall, its colorful leaves were glorious to gaze upon. By the end of October, they had covered the walk path in a thick, crunchy carpet that was a joy to the eye, a pleasure to the nose and a delight to the ear. This tree was such a wonder to behold, it made the lake and the world a more beautiful place just by being in it.

A few years ago, however, erosion began to take its toll on the ground around the tree. There came a point when the dirt was so worn away by the lake water that it could no longer support the huge roots of this massive beauty and the tree fell to the ground.

Amazingly, for the next year it still held on to life. The following Spring with only a few roots still in the ground, this tree produced fresh leaves along its fallen limbs. Eventually, though, the tree died and its huge trunk began slowly to decompose. I was saddened by this but took joy in remembering the beautiful life this tree had lived.

As I was walking around the decaying trunk today, however, I saw something that made my heart sing. Seeds had fallen into it and had started to grow. Out of this dead trunk two new saplings were now growing. Even in its death this glorious tree was bringing beauty and life to this world.

May we all live our lives as beautifully as this tree did. May we all live a life that makes the world around us a better place. May we all live a life of such love, such joy, and such light that we touch countless lives with our spirit. May we all live a life of such goodness, such kindness and such oneness with God that we continue to bring beauty, love and life to the hearts and souls of others even after we have left this world for the next.

Author Unknown