The Lone Cypress

I was in California a couple of weeks ago. The reason of my trip was for a training in robotic bronchoscopy. I went to Sunnyvale which is in Northern California, where the headquarters of Intuitive Surgical, Inc., an American biotechnology company that develops, manufactures, and markets medical robotic system. Even though I am an “old dog,” I am still learning new tricks.

My wife and my son also went with me on this trip, as the initial plan is after my robotic training, we’ll spend the weekend near the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea. However, 3 days before our flight to California, my aunt who lives in Southern California called and said that she was admitted in Loma Linda Hospital due to nausea and vomiting, and has been losing weight. She sounded very alarmed that they found a “pancreatic lesion” when they did a CT scan on her. This news sent shockwaves to our whole clan as another aunt (her older sister), just died 2 years ago from pancreatic cancer.

That threw a wrench in our plan. This aunt is dear to me, and she’s the one who helped me come to America when I was applying for my medical training. Knowing how ‘serious’ this pancreatic condition can be, we have to visit her, which means driving 6-7 hours from northern California to southern California after I’m done with my robotic training. Needless to say, our relaxing weekend on the beach had to be scratched off.

Not to abandon the trip to the beach altogether, we drove by some parts of the Pacific Coastal Highway on our way to southern California. We passed by the famous scenic 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach and also stop over Carmel-by-the-Sea for lunch. That made our drive longer than 8 hours, but it was well-worth it.

One of the most popular site in the 17-Mile Drive is the Lone Cypress. In fact, this is the most photographed tree in Northern America. Below is my photo of it.

This tree is believed to have been seeded circa 1750 in what was then the Spanish colony of New Spain. However, the precise age of the tree is unknown and can only be inferred.

Over the centuries, this tree has weathered the wind, the salt spray from the Pacific Ocean, and many storms that mother nature threw its way. It even survived an arson attempt in the 1980s.

The elements has slowly altered the appearance of this Lone Cypress over the years. Though scarred and gnarled, and swaddled mostly by fog, it tenaciously cling on to its granite base, remaining firm for all the world to see. It became a symbol of resilience and perseverance, standing strong despite the challenges of its harsh environment.

Are you like the Lone Cypress?

I know that we also go through a lot of storms in our life. Like this resilient tree we may even have the scars, physical or emotional, to show that we survive them, as we tenaciously cling also for dear life. Yet all those trials that we have weathered, have only make us stronger.

Lastly, I want you to look at my photo again. The Lone Cypress is not really alone, right? There were birds hovering it. Sometimes, we may feel like we are all alone, but we’re not. I want you to realize that we are never alone.

May you have a good day.

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PS: Our trip to California ended on a good note, as we found out that my aunt did not have pancreatic cancer but rather a benign process.