Tu B’shvat is here!
Tu B’shvat is a holiday that typically doesn't get much attention compared to others, but it has such profound messages that if we choose to tap into and connect with, we can feel a bit more inspired and take action.
Celebrating the birthday of the trees during a time where we actually don't yet see the fruits blossoming has always piqued my interest. Why don't we celebrate it at a later date when the trees are beautiful and bearing fruit? Because indeed now is the time where the sap is beginning to rise, growth is happening in the trees even though we don't yet see the fruit. The process is beginning, and that is why we celebrate now. The lesson we can derive from this is that it’s not just about the blossoming of the tree, but rather the process that it requires to get there.
This relates very much to the process of therapy or really any growth we are achieving in life. Sometimes, many times actually, we do not see the outcome right away. We need to go through a process of hard work to reach our goals. Sometimes it takes even longer than expected or we hit some unexpected bumps along the road. It is through this process that sometimes we can lose sight of the fruit that is to come, having a difficult time holding onto the end in sight. Tu B’shvat comes to teach us that even when we don't see the sap rising, it really is! You are in the process of getting there, even when it is difficult to see. We can hold on to the process even, and especially, when feeling stuck along the way.
Even when the process is not what we expected or more challenging than we thought, it can be so empowering to hold onto the fact that growth is happening, we are doing the work, and we are investing time and energy into improving ourselves and working towards our goals. With that in mind, we can daven that with Hashem’s help, we will see the fruits blossom very soon and look back at the process and be grateful for all we learned along the way.
Tu B’shvat sameach!