A while back I was telling my friend Laurie Ryan about a tree outside my office that got struck by lightning last year. It’s the craziest thing as it is still alive for the most part. I wasn’t sure that trees could really survive with lightning strikes but this is the second one that I know of in my own life.
When Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004, at our home we lost one huge oak that uprooted and fell over (Massive root ball that was twice as tall as my husband) and one other huge oak was hit by lightning. That oak was always a big producer of acorns and we had squirrels galore in the yard collecting them. After that storm, that struck tree didn’t produce any acorns for about four years and the squirrels left. I’m happy to say that they are back. There’s still a huge scar in that tree but it’s still standing- reminds me of the scars I have from hateful people and tough life experiences. My heart may be scarred but I’m still here and producing fruit!
The tree in my office parking area is different than that oak above. It’s strange and I’ve been trying to get a good photo of it to show how odd it looks. Not sure if these capture it or not but the center of this tree is dead. No leaves, no blooms and only smooth bark, but oddly, all around on the outside, there are leaves and buds as well as bark that seems to be thriving. I love how this brave little tree keeps going despite the death at its core. Maybe there are lessons in trees that we need to pay attention to- no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome it and thrive.
Okay- that’s the philosophical discussion for the day. Check out my tree. Can you see the damage? And more importantly, can you dig the living tree that surrounds that center?
Friday fact: Trees can live and thrive even after lightning strikes.
Jillian Chantal 
I love the tree’s spirit! We lived in a big,old house when I was a teenager in Virginia.We had an incredible number of different kinds of trees in the yard.One was a Redbud and I never saw another one until more than 20 years later when I moved to Kentucky; they grow wild here.Even so,I could not get one to ‘take’ in my yard until someone handed a sapling of one to my grandson.I guess it is growing because it is HIS tree.It was struck by lightning a coupe of years ago , which cracked and scorched the middle, but it doesn’t seem as bothered about it as we were.
By: Tonette Joyce on November 15, 2013
at 10:46 am
I’m with you and Tonette. I love the spirit of these trees. Resilience in the face of adversity, eh? We thankfully have no lightning-struck trees near us. And I’d like to keep it that way. 🙂 TGIF!
By: Laurie Ryan on November 15, 2013
at 1:36 pm
Thanks Laurie. I love resilient trees too! Here’s hoping for no lightning for you!
By: Jillian Chantal on November 15, 2013
at 2:32 pm
Living close to Laurie we don’t have any trees that have been struck by lightening but as a kid we had a huge maple tree in the front yard. And, of course we all climbed it and snuggled in to it’s big branches. I loved that tree. Thanks for sharing and reminding us the inspiration trees bring to us if we take the time to ‘see’ them.
By: Lavada Dee on November 15, 2013
at 1:59 pm
Your maple sounds like a lovely tree, Lavada. I used to love to hang out in the trees with my friends. Such fun. There was a weeping willow in Virginia when I lived there that we used like a fort. Such good memories of trees.
By: Jillian Chantal on November 15, 2013
at 2:35 pm