You are a blooming tree.

God must have given me a big hug this bright sunny morning.

Riding a bus going home to Trece Martires, I glimpsed at some of the trees along the Aguinaldo Highway, at San Agustin in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The very first tree that caught my attention was in full bloom. Long stems of yellow flowers were hanging in every tip of its green branches. Leaves were covered by this magnificent golden streaks, trickling abundantly as if pouring and giving all its beauty and riches within.

I really did not bother to know what kind of tree it was. But it sure was one magnificent blooming tree.

The second tree was like a cocoa tree. It stood in a grassy plain were some distant mango trees lined up in the background. Its branches were gappy yet intricately strewn  as if its foilage have the exact spaces between each other to create its wondrous round crown.

There might be fruits in that tree and it sure was beautiful as well.

The third tree was a pine, like the ones you usually see in Baguio and Tagaytay. It’s the only pine in that scene, stood in front of the bulldozed post-residential area. It bore no fruit, only dark green needle-like leaves and a sturdy woody trunk.

It’s evergreen. That tree might display cones sometime this year.

Lastly was a tamarind tree. It’s already sour by the looks of it. The tiny leaves were dark–just dark–covered in smogs. It, too, was balding. It was small yet the trunk had a huge burl on one side and a huge rotten hollow cavity on the other. It has no fruit at all.

It was abandoned.

Suddenly, a gush of my sensitivity–or I’m sure it’s God’s touch–prevailed over my inner core and the rest of my physical body. Suddenly, without containment, tears dropped from my two eyes. Suddenly, my iPod played, Himig Heswita’s “My Heart’s Thanksgiving.”

God was indeed present sitting beside me inside the bus. He let me see my life through those trees.

I went down immediately at the stop, and my heart could only cry out loud like my two eyes–out of immense gratitude.

I reflected a bit about what God showed me this sunny morning. At this point, God is still here–now hugging me. He is the biggest tree. I used to hug some trees. This time, I was hugged by It.

Now I would end this with what He whispered to me.

“I happened to show your life backward today. Tomorrow, when you ride a bus going back to Manila, take a look again at those trees. The first tree you saw, will be the last one you’ll see. Just wait until you become that one–that tree in full bloom.”

Now I know, that tree was me.