Strength isn’t always found in size, age or numbers. Sometimes it’s found in a steady reliability. A quiet resolve.
The Ironwood tree grows surely in the shadows of the big oaks and pines where its extremely hard wood and branch structure make it nearly impervious to damage that can harm the bigger less stable trees. While not as big or widely known as some of the larger trees, Ironwood has been called upon to be steady, strong and reliable.
Both Native Americans and early settlers prized it for its strength, using it for weaponry, tools, housing and more. They hitched their oxen to it. Made pegs for homes. Shaped wagon wheels to move their families. For protection, for sustenance, for stability, they depended on its strength to get the job done.
Steady. Strong. Reliable.