The apple tree I named The Embrace, depicted in the photo above, was one of the most challenging trees to extract from the seemingly endless prickly ash and buckthorns surrounding it. Like guards surrounding a treasure, these invasive barbed gatekeepers seemed impossible to navigate and often left me scratched and bloodied in my efforts to do so. The tree takes its name from the trunk that appears to be lovers held in an embrace across time. But, The Embrace is also the botanical embodiment of overcoming the challenges we believe hinder our ability to attain our heart’s longings. Like barbed trees, the lies we tell ourselves that we cannot reach our heart’s desires are merely obstacles on our path to doing so. What once seemed an impossibility, this beautiful tree now stands peacefully wrapped in its eternal embrace.
Wherever you are, it is my hope that you obtain your heart’s desire and that you will be wrapped in the embrace of hope and love this holiday season.