Ever since I read a quick side note about a Joshua Tree in a book, I've been fascinated and obsessed with these angular, gnarled, and striking trees. They grow and even find a way to thrive in the inhospitable deserts of California, Nevada and Utah. At first glance, Joshua Trees look ugly, harsh, beaten down and weary. They aren't the kind of tree you'd curl under and read your favorite book or catch a reprieve from the sun by basking in its cool shade. But, Joshua Trees are making it. They can survive where few vegetation can. They are hardy...and they are beautiful.
In the book I read about a naive, sweet, little girl. She feels sorry for the Joshua Tree. She sets out to water it everyday and protect it from the hard wind that tosses it about and causes it to grow sideways. Her mother raises her voice in an emphatic No! "The struggle is what makes it beautiful" she says.
The struggle is what makes it beautiful. The struggle is what makes us beautiful. I have many friends going through some pretty rough times right now and I know that this may sound trite and cliche, but I think there is profound truth in that phrase.
The struggle is only part of your story. The rest is beauty. Be beauty...because you are.
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