After several rainy days, I was lying on the trampoline with my son, soaking in the gentle sunshine. Suddenly, he pointed to a tree in our neighbors’ yard and said excitedly: "Mom, do you see that? A week ago it was completely bare, and now it’s full of leaves!"

I smiled. Every year, I find myself amazed by the same miracle — one day a tree stands completely naked, and before long it’s covered in lush green.

I suggested we drive to see one of my favorite trees in town. When we arrived, he looked at it and immediately said: "But it’s still bare."

"That’s true," I replied, "because every tree has its own time to bloom. Just like every person has their own time to flourish."

I told him about a woman who recently came to see me feeling stuck and frustrated. As I observed her, I noticed a bare tree beside her. In that moment, I understood she was in a season of inner growth — a season where the results aren’t always visible from the outside.

Like a tree in winter, we sometimes need rest, nourishment, and patience. Often, during periods when it seems nothing is moving forward, the most meaningful changes are happening beneath the surface.

My son thought for a moment and asked: "So she’s actually in a good place?"

"Yes," I answered. "A much better place than she realizes."

Sometimes we forget that a tree has two kinds of doing: one that’s visible — the budding, the blossoms, the fruit — and one that’s completely hidden — quiet, internal, invisible from the outside.

We too sometimes rush from goal to goal, from achievement to achievement, without pausing even for a moment. But after a season of intense effort — after there was blossoming, growth, and fruit — it’s time to stop. Not out of laziness, but out of understanding that only when we nourish ourselves and refill our reserves can we continue to our next journey.

If you’re in a season where things haven’t blossomed the way you hoped, remember: a tree doesn’t bloom by force — not by pushing harder, trying harder, or draining its reserves until exhaustion.

Blooming comes only after you stop, do the things that fill you up and bring you joy. Only after you nourish yourself with what you need, you will have the strength to bring your next bloom to life.

Sometimes the seasons when we seem “bare” are exactly the seasons when we are building the strength, skills, and insights that will fuel our next bloom.

Wishing you patience and inspiration in all seasons of life,
❤️ Hannah

This weekly message is based on the story “A Lone Bare Tree” from the book “Souvenirs – Short Stories with Life Lessons.”