Symbolism: Trees With or Without Leaves Still = Beauty

This concept came from another friend of mine from the church we both attend. She is a full time student currently attending Sioux Falls Seminary. She mentioned about seeing the beauty in the trees even without their leaves on her Instagram.

You may have to use your imagination and critical thinking to understand this topic and follow along.

Take a look at this tree. It looks great and beautiful right? On our best days, we too feel great about ourselves. We feel great about ourselves, other people, and the world in general. We have more of a positive mindset.

So this tree has no leaves on it. Some may think where is the beauty in this one or this tree will look great once it has leaves. Well have you thought about those things in terms of yourself? Have you said ‘I’m not good looking’, or ‘Once I clean up, put make up on, or comb or cut my hair, then I will look great’?

Now what I’m getting at is that though one tree has leaves and the other doesn’t, they both still have beauty. They have the same beauty, just a different look. Both trees are alive right? Both trees have strong branches right? There’s beauty right there.

Both trees provide life and shelter to different lifeforms. Those lifeforms don’t care how one tree looks compared to the other one. If the the tree with no leaves can provide a home for a squirrel for example, that squirrel will live there; it doesn’t care how it looks.

Now I’m not an expert on insects or animals that live in trees or trees in general, I’m assuming that both trees or healthy and alive.

You are the Tree

Now let’s take the trees out of the equation and substitute them with ourselves. The tree and branches are us as a person to the world. On good days we feel great and positive, so we look like the tree with leaves. On gloomy or bad days, we can look like the tree with no leaves.

Now remember what I said about make up, cutting and combing our hair picture? Picture the leaves as the make up, putting on really nice clothes, a wonderful haircut, and deodorant. When you do all that to yourself, don’t you think or say you look great when you look at yourself in the mirror? Did you think when you saw the tree with leaves that it looks great? Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t.

See the similarities; both statements include the words ‘look(s)’ and ‘great’. We recognize the beauty of ourselves.

Now switching gears again, the tree with no leaves can symbolize us not all glammed up, having a bad hair day, and feeling down. We don’t believe there is any beauty there.

The Moral

As I mentioned both trees have beauty, just a different kind. As people, there are all kinds of beauty as well. Beauty isn’t just an outward appearance; there is beauty within us all. Those who truly embrace that part of themselves can not only feel good about themselves, but can make others feel good about themselves too.

The pic above is leaf buds. Are we going to say that it isn’t beautiful because they are only buds and not leaves? I wouldn’t because those buds are alive and the start of something that will look great if taken care of and in time. The trees that are out there now in some areas of the world don’t have leaves, but soon they will have buds on them.

Going back to the squirrels, they didn’t care what the trees looked like on the outside. There are friends and family members who still see the beauty in you despite what you look like on the outside. Outward appearances can change, but inward beauty, most of the time, doesn’t.

Wrap Up

So if you have been feeling down lately or right now, one your not alone there are many many others unfortunately feeling that way right now. Two if are doing any kind of “me work” to feel better about yourself or to heal, then you may have some leaf buds starting to grow on your branches and I wish you good luck on that. You are loved for exactly who you are; your unique and special.

Take care, stay safe, and remember your not alone and you have worth in this world.