The axe forgets, the tree remembers...

Introspection, Vol. 23

There are wounds people leave in you that they don't even notice. Not because they’re cruel. Not always. Sometimes, they’re just careless. Too caught up in their own storms to notice what they’ve done to someone else. And sometimes, you’re left sitting with the pieces, quietly, alone, while they go on like nothing happened.

That’s what this old proverb captures so perfectly:

"The axe forgets, the tree remembers."

The axe swings and moves on. The tree? The tree holds the scar. Carries it in its rings. Remembers it in its bark. Feels it every time the wind brushes past. If you’ve ever been the tree, you know. You know what it’s like to be left with the memory of something someone else doesn’t even recall. You know what it’s like to sit in silence, holding the pain, while they act like everything’s normal. And you start to wonder if they ever even saw your pain.

The Axe: How People Forget the Harm They Cause

Let’s be honest, many people don’t walk around trying to hurt others. But that doesn’…