Like Winter Trees Waiting for Spring
When do trees reveal their true beauty? Is it in the spring when they are adorned with vibrant blossoms? Is it in the summer when they are cloaked in verdant leaves? Or perhaps in the autumn when they are laden with bountiful fruits? Or is it in the winter, when they have shed all their adornments, standing in their purest form, baring their souls to the world? There is a unique beauty in the austerity of winter trees, a beauty that surpasses the ostentation of other seasons.
Beholding the winter trees, one cannot help but admire their dignified endurance against the harsh winds and snow. Their bare, unadorned appearance may even surpass the allure of their spring and summer guises. Knowing the journey they have undertaken through the seasons, the visage of a winter tree becomes even more endearing.
Winter Tree (by Do Jong-hwan)
Gazing upon the tree, stripped of its foliage and standing stark,
Who would dare declare its life a futile endeavor?
Observing the tree, braving the icy winds with no fruit to bear,
Who would rashly judge its existence as errant?
Have not these bare sentinels guarded the mountains,
And shaped the forests with their presence?
In their youth, did they not devote themselves to the protection of every humble hill and the grandeur of mountain ranges?
Even if a solitary nest, devoid of birds, hangs from a barren branch,
Let not one be too hasty to proclaim its end,
Nor too quick to label it a failure.
Behold the winter trees, with their branches laid bare. They endure the winter, devoid of any adornment. Gone are the days of spring's splendor, summer's verdure, and autumn's abundance. The flowers have faded, the fruits have fallen, and the leaves have withered away... Yet, it is crucial to remember that these winter trees once basked in the glory of a blooming spring, reveled in the lushness of a vibrant summer, and enjoyed the richness of a fruitful autumn.
The temperature plummets below freezing. The winter trees shiver through the night. Icicles form, ice flowers bloom, and snowflakes dance. With their naked forms, they brave the biting cold and the fierce blizzards. They stand, as if with arms raised in surrender, enduring the harshness of winter. Yet, with the passing of winter and the advent of spring, they will sprout anew, bloom with flowers, thrive in the summer's greenery, and bear fruits in autumn.
This serves as a reminder that what we see before us is not the entirety of existence. Though our lives may appear as barren and forlorn as the winter trees at this moment, the spring of our lives will surely dawn anew.
Each of us carries within us our own extended winter, a season of trials and tribulations. It is my fervent prayer that we may all persevere through these challenging times and emerge into the radiant dawn of a splendid spring.
We are pilgrims walking the path of the cross towards resurrection. I hope that we may silently and steadfastly walk the path of the cross to the very end, like the winter trees awaiting spring, so that we may welcome the brilliant spring of resurrection.
