Several years ago, we had to move (and bring in) a significant amount of dirt to build up a long driveway through the steep ravine that now connects us to the heart of our
wooded land, and the site where we eventually built our home last year. It was a major undertaking that took a few years of persistent effort.
With rain continually washing chunks away, we added a lot more rip-rap
and ultimately planted grass (hardest work I've ever done!) on the steepest banks, before we created a stable path from the main road. Today, it's safe and solid.
Little by little, nature has been reclaiming the
disturbed, naked ground. The orange rocky dirt banks are turning green again along both sides of the sloped entrance, as native grasses and wild plants are slowly returning.
Some of what is growing back was there
before, but there’s also new growth—some desired, some not so much.
One welcome surprise has been the appearance of more blackberry bushes than we ever had before. I've already made eleven jars of preseves and there's a
lot more where that came from. That’s a gift we didn’t expect.
But alongside those berries, a particular tree species has started sprouting up in several places. It’s a fast-growing smaller tree we don’t want. If
left unchecked, it would change the landscape and block our views of the tall forest trees we are in love with.
These unwanted trees are popping up in multiple areas. They’re even growing in the large rip-rap rock that
lines the edges of the driveway. This big, chunky stone of varying shapes and sizes was intentionally placed to prevent erosion and help the slope hold. And yet, somehow, these small trees are managing to grow up right through it.
The trees aren’t threatening the stability of the driveway, because roots actually help hold everything in place. That's why we planted grass in the steepest areas. But our driveway is stable now, and we don’t need the extra support in exchange for smaller trees that would block what we prefer to see.
We’ve started the work of pulling these trees up one by one while they’re still young. We know the longer we wait, the more their roots will take hold, and the harder it will be to remove them later. It’s much easier to redirect something early on than to uproot it once it’s fully established. (That’s another good lesson, but not where I’m headed today.)
I've noticed the trees growing in the rip-rap are significantly harder to pull up than the ones rooted just in dirt. At first, this didn’t make sense. It’s the same tree. It’s the same species, same structure, same kind of root system. So why is one so much tougher than
the other?
The answer lies not in the tree, but in the environment. The ones growing in wide-open soil came up easy and have little resistance to us pulling them out. Their roots have nothing to hold onto.
The ones embedded in the rocks, however, have had to work harder to be there. Their roots have twisted and forced their way, squeezing between boulders to reach for sunlight. Every inch of growth came with effort and
struggle—and because of that, they’re anchored more deeply and firmly than their "cousins" growing only in the dirt.
While struggling to pull one of those up, I found my metaphor for life.
When we face obstacles—when we have to push through difficulty to grow, to work, to reach for something meaningful—the process may be harder, but it also makes us stronger. We create a more complex foundation, one that’s not
easily disrupted. Resistance builds resilience. Hardship creates depth.
So whatever we’re up against that’s challenging us right now, something that feels like solid rock pushing back against our every effort, let’s
consider that maybe this hard thing is what’s making us even better that we would be otherwise.
Maybe the struggle is not evidence that we’re on the wrong path, as is so easy to conclude, especially when we feel like
giving up. Maybe the difficulty is actually confirmation that we’re becoming deeply rooted, which will yield results that are long-lasting—a foundation that’s immovable.
For today, think of how far you’ve already come.
Think of what you’ve already pushed through just to get here. What’s one more barrier compared to everything you’ve already weathered? You have deep roots and you’ve earned every inch of progress thus far. Don't quit now!
We’re so much stronger than we think. So dig in. Keep going. I believe in you.
