The Wood Grain's Way

We recently took a trip to the High Country of North Carolina for our 7th anniversary. Thanks to Josh's parents, we got to have a break from being parents to be people for a long weekend. We hardly knew what to do with ourselves, but it didn't take long for us to soak in the views and enjoy some peace and quiet. 

We got to visit Beech Mountain Brewing Company, Grandfather Mountain, Banner Elk Winery and Villa, Booneshine Brewing Company, downtown Banner Elk, downtown Blowing Rock, and downtown Boone. One of the many highlights of the trip was taking a hike on the Glen Burney Trail in Blowing Rock, NC. 

It was a late morning intermediate hike while the trail was still fairly quiet, and it offered us an opportunity to continue to dream and pray about the space we hold in our hearts for The Sociable Home. 

As time and space seemed to stand still, as it often does when in nature, it offered the opportunity to reflect on the story of the trees. ​

Josh tends to be the thinker of the family while Sydney is often the feeler, which sometimes leads to butting heads but more often than not leads to growing perspectives. 

On this hike in particular, it was Sydney's turn to be a deep thinker.

As time and space seemed to stand still, as it often does when in nature, it offered the opportunity to reflect on the story of the trees. We observed the way that they swayed with the light breeze that flowed through the dips and humps of the trail. It was as if the dance of the branches and rustle of the leaves were reminding us to soak in the moment. 

Our eyes peered around the forest, noticing the various bends in each tree as the sunlight peeked through the shapes of the leaves. Sydney quietly wondered about the cliché to "bloom where you're planted." In many seasons of life, it often seems that the blooming does not go as planned. Or it may be that the process of blooming does not happen at the pace you intend or with the beauty and elegance one often hopes for. 

Yet somehow, amidst the tangled branches and undergrowth, the forest still blooms gracefully. It is a much needed reminder to us that it is not our job to bloom where we are planted; the blooming happens automatically. 

However, it is our job to be willing to bend like the trees. The bending is a display of our ability to move along with circumstances or to sometimes move in spite of the circumstances. The willingness to pause for a rest and to move forward as we tell our stories.

The trees are just given their foundation; they don't get to choose where they are planted. But they decide when and if they'll bend, move, breathe, and grow. So must we. We must be willing and we must be decisive. 

And as the trees decide to grow, the grains tell their story. At The Sociable Home, we get the amazing gift of sharing the ways of the wood grain, of sharing our story, and of helping you share your story in your home.