The baby that would not die and the idiot that tried to destroy it. Many years ago, I planted a baby royal palm in the front area of my home. It was about the height of a pineapple. As the months went by it grew almost as tall as me. It also developed very sharp spikes. I didn’t like that so I decided to chop it down. As the weeks would go by, it would grow back up again, so I’d chop it again. This happened over and over for many months until I finally gave up. All the cutting made it grow in a peculiar way. To this day twenty years later, it still remains there. It has survived three hurricanes and countless home renovations and accidents. I believe its biggest achievement has been to teach me about resilience and adaptability. In Shamanism we attribute personality to plants based on their development. This royal palm never held a resentment towards me trying to destroy it so many times, instead it would quietly get back to work with what it could after my blind actions. Eventually its behavior made me come to senses and not just feel regretful but actually be humbled and embarrassed for my carelessness. Nowadays, as a counselor, I see how life can be so hard for many of us and it always takes me back to the baby royal palm. Through its modest persistence, it’s not just made its way to becoming the role model for the many people that I heal, but you actually know of its wisdom now as well…