On a quiet walk in the woods of Qualicum Beach this morning, I saw a tree growing on top of an old stump.

I reflected on the ability of one life to fuel the next. Again and again it appeared, new growth sprouting from the decaying past.

Some of us push away our past, hoping to deny or overcome the things we’d rather forget. But maybe we can instead embrace it, not erase it, and use it to fuel our futures.