What Happens When Nature Gives Life And Death

Summary

The author reflects on the cyclical nature of life and death through the growth and decline of two papaya trees in their backyard, drawing parallels to a verse from the Qur'an that speaks of creation and removal by Allah.

Abstract

The article "What Happens When Nature Gives Life And Death" is a contemplative piece by Rasheed Hooda, who uses the example of two papaya trees to explore themes of growth, decay, and resilience. The first tree grew in a challenging spot, tilted towards the sun, and eventually snapped under the weight of its fruit. Despite efforts to save it by replanting, it did not survive. However, new life sprouted from its remains. The second tree, learning from the first, was supported to prevent a similar fate and now bears fruit, yet it too experiences the cycle of life as some of its branches wither. The author connects these natural occurrences to the spiritual lesson from the Qur'an, "Allah Creates, and Allah Removes," emphasizing the beauty and inevitability of life's cycles. The article also acknowledges the SCBWI's daily writing challenge and the prompt "WILTED," which inspired the piece, and expresses gratitude to the community and readers for their engagement.

Opinions

The author believes in the resilience of nature, as evidenced by the regrowth of the first papaya tree despite its initial collapse.
There is an underlying spiritual perspective that views the life cycle of the trees as a reflection of divine creation and destruction, as mentioned in the Qur'an.
The author values the support and inspiration provided by the writing community, particularly in response to the daily writing prompts.
The experience of tending to the trees has taught the author a tangible lesson about the power of perseverance and the natural balance between life and death.
The author appreciates the interconnectedness of life, as shown by the potential entanglement and competition for resources between the two trees.

What Happens When Nature Gives Life And Death

“Allah Creates, and Allah Removes.” says the Qur’an

Papaya Tree in the Backyard, Photo by Rasheed Hooda

As I ponder upon the daily prompt, I see the papaya tree. There are actually two papaya trees in the backyard.

Nature has strange ways to make things grow and wither. “Allah Creates, and Allah Removes,” I learned a long time ago.

We had a papaya tree that grew when she dumped the seeds in the corner by the fence. It was under the ceiling, and as it grew, it tilted to reach out to the sun. When the fruit started showing up, the bent trunk couldn’t bear the weight and snapped, leaving about two feet of stem sticking out from the ground. We replanted the top part of the trunk in a different part of the backyard, away from the structure. It didn’t survive.

Meanwhile, another tree had started growing next to the first one. As the second tree started leaning, we secured it, holding it back, so it wouldn’t meet the same fate. It has grown beyond the ceiling and bent itself back to reach for the sun.

“Allah Creates, and Allah Removes.”

Then, shoots started sprouting out from the stem of the first tree and it seems it has borne several trunk-like branches.

sprouting stem, Photo by Rasheed Hooda

I don’t know if the leaves from the shoots got tangled with lower branches of the other tree or just that it is not getting enough nutrition, some of the branches in the full-grown tree are withering away, and leaves have wilted.

Tree #2 is bearing fruits as you can see in the first picture, and tree #1 is making a comeback from death, as death is claiming some of the branches from #2.

Today’s Prompt from SCBWI’s daily challenge is WILTED. Thanks, Amy Marley, for introducing me to the challenge.

As always, thank you for reading and responding.

What Happens When Nature Gives Life And Death

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