There truly are no words to explain the way I felt when I saw my first one. It was late and dark but that didn’t seem to matter. I was wonderstruck and filled with awe. But there it was, standing tall and proud and graceful all at once. I stared with unbelieving eyes. It was breathtaking and beautiful. The green moss crawled around its thick base curling to the top like garland on a christmas tree. As we drove by more and more of them I just wanted to stop and stare. They were so grand and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I didn’t want to leave. But we had to.
The wind whispered to my tired eyes that they would see them once again. I breathed in a sigh of relief. As morning slowly crept into our lives we were on the road again. We saw the bright colors of the sunrise create a backdrop behind the majestic green giants. In daylight they were just as extravagant.
The redwoods were magnificent. They reached taller than the tallest trees in all of my memories. The trunk was wider than any trunk I had ever laid eyes upon. And when I hugged one it made me feel as tiny as the stars do. Tiny but significant. Noticed and encouraged by the Creator. I find myself filled with peace and hope and contentment. Very few things make me feel this way.
It is one of the most amazing feelings that one could possibly ever feel. Perhaps the forest makes me feel even more alive than the ocean.
