may never know...

we may never know

This pine tree was growing
on the side of a rocky hill.

Hidden and striving to live
under rough growing conditions.

"Most people have come to prefer
certain of life’s experiences
and deny and reject others,
unaware of the value of the hidden things
that may come wrapped in plain
and even ugly paper.
In avoiding all pain
and seeking comfort at all costs,
we may be left without intimacy or compassion;
in rejecting change and risk
we often cheat ourselves of the quest;
in denying our suffering we may never know
our strength or our greatness."
- Rachel Naomi Remen