Merton quote and Christmas trees

From Wayne Burns---

"Today, cut a few Christmas trees for the house, and a big one for the
novitiate. It was not quite raining, but cloudy and cold. Walked home
alone by the lake near Bardstown road. The loblolly pines planted
during my 1955 crisis are growing well. The whole property is dotted
with trees I have planted in hours of anguish. The ones I planted in
hours of consolation hae not succeeded."

( A SEARCH FOR SOLITUDE THE JOURNALS OF THOMAS MERTON Volume Three
1952-1960, page 360...Thomas Merton wrote this in his journal on
December 1959 )

What lessons have I learned from trees, and do I have a favorite tree?

Wayne