Who remembers this tree? This was my tree. Every year I would come to Hunting Island and this tree was standing tall. It didn't matter how bad the waves had beat it or how the wind would hit it, there it was, still standing. I looked at this tree as myself. I was going through some very hard times, I was getting beaten by life and storms. But I was still standing. Much like this tree. I was still rooted in the ground, holding strong to my beliefs, that the fight I was fighting would pay off. This tree was an inspiration for me because I felt like no matter what was thrown at it, it was still there. Then the hurricane came. For months the Island was closed. I looked at photos of the coast to see if my tree was still there. I finally got to go to the island once the beach was open. The first thing I did was look for my tree.. But it wasn't there. The storm had finally knocked it down. In that moment I felt like I broke as well. The next few years kinda were a mess. I finally left what I needed to leave. I was finally free from the thing that was holding me by fear. Yesterday I was having an emotional day. My mom told me I should paint my tree. So I did. I ended up painting 4 different ones. My mom said something to me that changed how I looked at this tree and the hurricane. The tree did not get knocked down because it was weak, it was merely letting go so it could move on to a better place. It was uprooted and became free to leave that place where the waves hit it and the wind tore through it. Much like I did. Sorry for the long story. But I wanted to give some back story on what this tree ment. Here are the paintings I did yesterday. Let me know what you think.
Thank you for sharing your story and I think your Mum is a wise woman. Well done for having the strength to weather your storm and the creativity to paint.