The Magnolia Will Live

The magnolia tree at the corner of the deck - the southeastern, is going to live. It was hit by Hurricane Ivan with what should have been a knock-out punch but this tree kept showing signs of life, right after the storm, in the fall of 2004 and every year after - dead limbs and leaves on the other edges but green, determined ones on the inner part. After a few years I noticed a crack in the bark of this magnolia, at the bottom in the trunk. It had holes in it like insects had also invaded. Not being an expert in gardening but being a person who loved to garden, I went to Lowe's to look at what I might do to help this tree. I found a product that both kills bugs that invade trees that have this type problem, but that also fertilize the tree. I have applied this solution every year in the spring for about 4 years. And so today - I just noticed that the bark around the base of the trunk is closing up, and I believe the tree is being healed. And I thought about the nature of healing after seeing this in the tree (which took me by surprise because I had kind of given up on the tree), that this process is slow and deliberate. And that maybe in our fast food, instant society we live in that maybe we are much too impatient with ourselves, and with others when we need to heal. Anyway, I thought I'd share that today because I was glad to have seen this - and considered it.