FEATURED · INNER WORK
The story of an apple tree - by Colleen Joy Page
Once upon a time, there was a little tree born into the orchard of life.
And this little tree…Stretched out its little branches, and it looked at the older, wiser trees all around it and said. You look older than me and wiser than me. Tell me, what is my purpose? What is it that I’m supposed to do? And these trees looked down, and they said to the little young tree, they said, oh, very simple.
Your purpose is to make bark that looks like this, and leaves that look like these. And if you do it properly. One day, you will make oranges that look just like this.
Now, the little tree was so excited, and every day tried very, very hard to make bark that looked like that, and leaves that looked like those. But he could tell there was a little bit of a disapproval. Because his bark didn’t look exactly like that and his leaves didn’t look exactly like those. And although they wouldn’t say, he could feel their disappointment.
And he grew a little bit bigger, and just as he was a little bit bigger, he could see just past, and he saw that at the edge of the orchard. There was a different kind of tree. Theirs were the thorn trees. And I thought, well, maybe they will know.
So he shouted out to the trees, please tell me.What is my purpose? And of course, these trees were not so chatty. But they had a few things to say, and they said “Don’t you know that your purpose is to grow thorns? You must protect yourself. Everything is dangerous. Everything is trying to get you”.
The birds that you’re letting sit all over you, the insects, you need to grow thorns. And they wouldn’t say anything else. Typical thorn trees, right?
So, the little tree tried very hard to grow thorns, but nothing would grow. I thought, now again, I have failed. So he grew invisible thorns, and he chased away all the insects, and he chased away all the birds.
And the days and the nights passed, and the weeks passed, and one day the fire came. And at night, he saw this blazing, crackling, noisy light coming across the orchard. And everything that could run
But the trees could not run, and even the thorn trees didn’t stand a chance.
And just as the fire was about to touch him, the winds changed, and the fire retreated.
And in the morning, he looked out at the desolate orchard, and all he could see was ash. and smoke. And he was utterly and completely alone. And he shouted out, to the valley.
Why? I don’t understand. Why? But of course, when he shouted out, why? Why? Nothing came back. There was just this emptiness and this silence.So, the days passed, and the weeks passed, and he didn’t have anyone to talk to, so he did something which I highly recommend.
He began to talk to himself. And, Slowly, he started to notice a curious thing, that sometimes when he spoke to himself, it was as if… quieter… more clear… And a wiser, inner voice would seem to reply, especially when he was very… Peaceful and very interested.
So, the days passed, and the weeks passed, and he started. Almost becoming friends with this inner voice, and then the one day it occurred to him. Why don’t I just ask? This part of me, whatever this mystery is.
So he said, what is my purpose? What am I here to do? And this inner voice said, young tree, you are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, what is it that I’m supposed to do. You need to ask, who am I? And he thought about that for a moment. He says, but what if I don’t know who I am? And this inner voice said, Then you need to love yourself free. And this inner voice said, you will know who you are, because when you are Speaking, and when you are seeing, and when you are being your true self, your sap will rise. The lifeblood in your tree will rise.And when the sap rises, you will also grow.
So, the little tree had nothing to lose.So I thought, okay.So he looked down at his bark, and he looked at his leaves, and he tried something new. He looked at it and said, maybe this is on purpose. Maybe instead of trying to make leaves that look like that.And bark that looks like what I saw from the orange trees and the thorn trees. Maybe I can love myself free.And as he started thinking those thoughts, he felt a stir inside of him.He felt… The sap rising.
So he started using that to recognize when he was Loving himself free. And over the days and over the weeks, he started growing and growing and growing so naturally and so quickly. And then the one day.
As the sun just peeped over the horizon, he looked out at his branches, and he was so excited, and he shouted out. to the orchard. I know who I am! Finally, I know who I am. I am the maker of little pink blossoms.
And the inner voice.Said to him, young tree, wait, the fruits of your true self are still waiting.So he waited patiently, and of course, the little pink blossoms turned into apples.And the days passed, and the weeks passed, and as life dances with death, and death dances with life, soon the whole valley was green again.
And there were these little saplings growing all around him.
And one day, the little saplings looked up at him and said, Oh, old wise apple tree, tell us what is our purpose?What is it that we’re supposed to do? And now he knew what to say. He could say, you’re asking the wrong question….