During my visit to Oregon, I got to see this gorgeous tree native to the area called the Pacific Madrone. Madrones are an evergreen tree that sheds its eye-catching, orangeish-red bark.

So I was like, “Hey Google, why do Madrone trees shed their bark?”

And Google was like, “The most commonly accepted theory is that it’s an evolutionary development which helps the tree shed lichens and parasites such as boring insects, which lay their eggs on the bark. By shedding its bark, the tree prevents their buildup and reduces the chance of disease.”

Shedding to prevent disease. Behavior designed to preserve the integrity of the whole organism. What a beautiful thought.

I’ll save you from the cliche metaphor of us peeling back our layers. You’ve heard that enough times.

I want to point out this one key distinction, however: trees can’t leave their environment.

When a parasite threatens the madrone’s long-term survival, it can’t pick up and move to Ohio from Oregon. Instead, it must rely on the intelligence of nature to create a physical adaptation that preserves its integrity.

As humans, we’re so lucky to have mobility. The only roots we have are figurative and subjective. We are free to leave our environment any time we desire. What a gift.

And how convenient it is that we would also come equipped with the sensation of wanderlust and exhilaration to experience new places. We have specific emotional experiences that catalyze mobility. What a perfect design. The equivalent of a perfect peel.

There’s nothing unnatural about changing our environments. May this offer a moment of appreciation for how we are designed as humans. We were created to move.