Have you ever walked through an old woods and been struck by the thought that most of the trees have been growing there since before you were born? And that every branch on every tree has its exact shape and length because of the shape and length of every branch near it—all of them maneuvering in slow motion to get their leaves out into the sunlight? And suddenly you understand you’re not looking at something called ‘the woods.’ You’re looking at the story of every tree entangled with every other tree, and every rainfall, every windstorm, every sunny day, every blizzard.”
