What will happen to the things you’ve built, the projects you’ve started, the people and the things that you’ve loved and held dear once you have gone?

Will they fair well? Will they flourish and strive? Will they fall into disrepair or become frozen in time, left in a perpetual state of being as they are now?

Does it matter either way?

If it does, who makes that decision? You? Your children? The people of the world?

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In my neighborhood, there is a very peculiar tree.

It is not pretty or functional in any real way. You can tell, though, that it has been well-loved and carefully maintained.

Had it not have been so thoughtfully attended to, it would not have been able to reach the astonishing height it has while keeping its neatly trimmed cylindrical shape.

Seeing this tree begs the questions: Why? and, For how long?

Why was it planted? How long has it been growing? How many people have cared for it? What purpose does it serve? And what will happen to it when its caretaker is gone?

Will it be left to grow on its own accord until it becomes overgrown and wild looking? Will it be toppled by the wind or simply cut into pieces and thrown away?

Has its caretaker expressed his/her wishes about what should be done in the event that he/she passes away?

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Whenever I see this tree, something about it makes me think of impermanence and the fleeting nature of things. People often feel that without an audience or without a lasting effect, something is not worth doing. I have been caught up before in that line of thinking, often questioning:

What's the point?

This tree and its caretaker, in some strange way, have come to stand as a reminder to me that uncertainty and impermanence should not be used to validate indifference and inaction, that they should, instead, serve as motivator for us, a reminder that we must act now, with purpose and intent.

Regardless of the outcome, our time is now.

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Image Credits: All images are original.