It started with a tree.
About six or seven years ago, I took a survey. It was one of those surveys that diagnosed your personality and matched you with a symbol—a silly picture of a flower, sun, etc. — which illustrated your persona. At age eight or nine, a kid doesn’t usually contemplate the aspects of their personality; but, for no particular reason I carefully went over the answers I chose and made sure I replied to every question truthfully. When I received my results, I reflected on the conclusions I had found. I was a blooming tree, a symbol of the salt of existence and a creative force of life. I took root in the earth and stood strong for decades. I was knowledge and freedom and strength, but I was also doubtful. Could I be all of this and only in the fourth grade? With that experience, I strive to find the real blooming tree, the real salt of existence and root of the earth. I make every effort to find myself among all the madness of the world and, thus far, I have found true life in love, curiosity, and Christianity.
Love is like the earth. It is the foundation from which everything flourishes. Plants need it, animals need it, people need it, and everyone always seems to be seeking it. Why? There is comfort in knowing that someone loves you and no matter what happens, you can be yourself and feel safe. It is more than a mere feeling of affection arising from commonalities among two people. To describe it would be almost breaking a secret, a small crime because I could never do it justice. Love is like magnetism, no matter how much you want to destroy it, once it’s established can never yield.
One way I exhibit love is by having a passion for helping others. In December, I volunteered with a group from my school, and we went to support Operation Christmas Child, an organization that gives shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. It is amazing what a simple act of kindness can do, especially what it can mean to someone who wasn’t expecting it. By sending a teddy bear or a pair of shoes, Operation Christmas Child, gives kids a chance to experience the joy of Christmas. Love gives something worth even when it’s worth nothing at all.
I don’t volunteer out of a sense of altruism, in fact, I volunteer because I’m completely selfish. I take away so much from the events I do; it feeds my desire to discover more about the world. Arnold Edinborough once said, “Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I can only say the cat died nobly.”1 Curiosity is like the branches and leaves of a tree. It extends over the earth providing shade and security. People will always need to know things, they will always want to try something new, and they will always be seeking innovation. How can society have originality without curiosity?
I am known to be curious. I embrace challenges because the outcome is uncertain. In 1997, Apple Computer created an advertising slogan called “Think Different”. Posters made by the company captured curiosity when they said:
“Here’s to the crazy ones…The ones who see things differently…They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward…While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”2
This is more than just a trend. People who take risks and go after problems that society has deemed unsolvable are the leaders of this nation. Humans are naturally curious creatures. We have instincts to hunt and to inquire about things we don’t understand. Curiosity is how we search for the truth in life. I live to find the answers to impossible questions and to learn from everyone I meet along the way.
Without an active desire to learn, being Christian would be undoubtedly hard. It evolves seeking after the seemingly impossible and accepting an unselfish love. Christianity is like the atmosphere where a tree resides. It gives the tree its identity and makes it recognizable to the world, just as it has made me recognizable to myself. I came to a point in time where nothing else in the world mattered to me and God became the narrator of my life. Almost every moment since then, He tells me when I am in bloom and points me in the direction my leaves need to turn. His limbs branch out in all directions. They reach up to the heavens and are deep-rooted in the earth to provide stability. It is a good feeling to know that He will forever shade my heart, give me spirit, and make me alive.
Over the years, as I think in more depth about the results of my survey from fourth grade, I hope to continue finding meaning in the little things like the sound of rain, shadows in the grass, and the smile on a person’s face. I hope to add them to the spirit, the truth, and the worth I have found in life already because these are the real blooming trees. They are peace in a world filled with disaster; they make life beautiful and are the inspiration for greatness. They are indicators that there is hope, faith, and significance in life. Much like how a tree symbolizes growth by reaching into the ground and extending up to the sky; these short events provide growth and give us reason to live. Most importantly, both show the love and the power of God. He provides happiness and lays in plain view, if you are curious enough to seek Him.