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Monday, December 25, 2017

Sharing the Load

Beech forest photo by Martina Aubrechtová 

          In twelve countries across Europe, there are old-growth beech forests that are listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. These woodlands achieved great age without significant disturbance, and thus are a haven of natural beauty as well as biodiversity. The trees here are like families, according to German forester Peter Wohlleben, and have something like an underground social network. Their interconnecting root structures allow them to be aware of how their neighbors and offspring are doing. Healthy trees will often share sugars and nutrients with injured trees and saplings to sustain them. These ancient trees operate less like individuals and more like a tight-knit community willing to share resources.
          When we find the fellowship of other people in recovery, we discover an extended family. Sharing our personal inventory with someone from this group is a relationship of equals, not one of sinner and saint. Our listener will have experienced the same overwhelming emptiness and craving that an addiction tries to fill. If we are hesitant to admit our secrets and buried feelings, we can realize they are an example of what being relieved of such a burden looks like. They can assure us that we are not unique in our thoughts or actions and provide insights that point the way to freedom. Our honesty allows us to tap into the shared resources of our recovery community.    
For more information on honesty, see this post.    


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