FROM MY BOOK, “Things Trees Know,” in the Wisdom Of Nature series, here are some thoughts/quotes for a winter morning:

Reach down as well as up. No roots, no branches.

Stand tall, but bend when you need to.

Be a shelter to someone.

Grow from the bottom up, from the inside out.

Welcome rainy days.

Know that being beautiful is the same thing as being yourself.

Reach for the light.

Respect your elders.

Go ahead—get BIG!

Remember that big trees are just little trees that kept going.

Make fresh air, not hot air.

Know that the brightest blossoms are not always on the tallest trees.

Be well acquainted with moonlight.

Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

Remember: dreams are the seedlings of realities. And it is often from the fertile soil of failure that they grow.

It’s simple: If you’re living, you’re growing. If you’re growing, you’re living.