---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Soon the trees affected not only her mood…"
description: "\"“Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her understanding. Each year a trunk put on a new ring of growth, and within those rings she found the t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg"
---

#  Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her…

![“Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her understanding. Each year a trunk put on a new ring of growth, and within those rings she found the tree's own story. She listened to the scent of it, the feel, the sound, and her mind gave it words- soil, water, sap, light...and before, night and…” quote by Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg)

> ““Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her understanding. Each year a trunk put on a new ring of growth, and within those rings she found the tree's own story. She listened to the scent of it, the feel, the sound, and her mind gave it words- soil, water, sap, light...and before, night and rain, dry and sun, wind and night...the drowsy stillness of leaves in a rainfall, the sparkling eagerness of leaves in the sun, and always the pulling up of the branches, the tugging down of the roots, the forever growing in tow directions, joing sky and soil, and a center to keep it strong... -Rin, Forest Born””

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The protagonist learns that observing a tree’s growth reveals deeper connections between nature and self, fostering empathy and insight.

**In simple terms:** Nature teaches self‑understanding through observation.

Key Takeaway

Observe and reflect on natural cycles.

Themes

nature growth empathy reflection

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- creative writing
- environmental education

Key Concepts

ecology mindfulness symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does nature mirror personal change?
- What can trees teach about resilience?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify complex human emotions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Rin Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rin-forest-555896/) [Rings Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rings-tree-555897/) [Soon Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-trees-555898/) [Tree Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-story-555895/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/)

## Related quotes

> [I asked God to help me understand the story of the forest and what it means to be a tree in that story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-asked-god-to-help-me-understand-the-story-of-the-forest-and-what-it/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [He said to me I was a tree in a story about a forest, and that it was arrogant of me to believe any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/he-said-to-me-i-was-a-tree-in-a-story-about-a-forest-and-that-it-was/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Could a scar be like the rings of a tree, reopened with each emotional season?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magenta-periwinkle/could-a-scar-be-like-the-rings-of-a-tree-reopened-with-each-emotional/)

[Magenta Periwinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magenta-periwinkle/)

> [When you chop down a tree you can look at the rings and see what the tree's been through. That's what you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xzibit/when-you-chop-down-a-tree-you-can-look-at-the-rings-and-see-what-the/)

[Xzibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xzibit/)

> [“The giant oak tree of a story, started with a small acorn of a thought. -T.A. Cline”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-cline/the-giant-oak-tree-of-a-story-started-with-a-small-acorn-of-a-thought/)

[T.A. Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-cline/)

> [“Another way of looking at growth is to think of it like the rings of a tree, which means that each age is ever-present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-brien/another-way-of-looking-at-growth-is-to-think-of-it-like-the-rings-of/)

[Jane O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-brien/)

> [Amsterdam is like the rings of a tree: It gets older as you get closer to the center.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/amsterdam-is-like-the-rings-of-a-tree-it-gets-older-as-you-get-closer/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I was a tree in a story about a forest, the story of the forest is better than the story of the tree”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-was-a-tree-in-a-story-about-a-forest-the-story-of-the-forest-is/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Nevermore Tree was gargantuan, a word which here means 'having attained an inordinate amount of botanical volume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/nevermore-tree-was-gargantuan-a-word-which-here-means-having-attained/)

[Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [Suddenly a mist of green on the trees, as quiet as thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-richardson/suddenly-a-mist-of-green-on-the-trees-as-quiet-as-thought/)

[Dorothy Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-richardson/)

> [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/)

[Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/)

> [“Sitting at the old patio table she’d cleared of leaves, she smiled and leaned back. The stars looked twisted in the limbs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/sitting-at-the-old-patio-table-she-d-cleared-of-leaves-she-smiled-and/)

[Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/)

> [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/)

[Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/)

> [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/)

[Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/)

## More by Shannon Hale

> [“Well, write me into the list of Those Who Don’t Mind a Bit,” said Cupid, eyeing his perfectly toned arms and chest. “My, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/well-write-me-into-the-list-of-those-who-don-t-mind-a-bit-said-cupid/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“Sometimes instinct isn't fancy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/sometimes-instinct-isn-t-fancy/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [Enna leaned back her head and laughed at the sky. 'Of course he wasn't! Who could kill Razo?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/enna-leaned-back-her-head-and-laughed-at-the-sky-of-course-he-wasn-t/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“Um… I guess that’s that,” said Cerise. “That?” said Maddie. “That is never that. This is that. Or else that is this. And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/um-i-guess-that-s-that-said-cerise-that-said-maddie-that-is-never/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [The book smelled dusty and old but also carried a sweet tang, a hint of something inviting. She opened to the first page and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/the-book-smelled-dusty-and-old-but-also-carried-a-sweet-tang-a-hint/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [Geric," she called. He turned back around. "What kind of flowers were they?" "I don't rightly know," he said. He made faltering gestures with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/geric-she-called-he-turned-back-around-what-kind-of-flowers-were-they/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [How I keep trying to force our story into a fairy tale, but from the beginning, it's been more like a nursery rhyme." "Bizarre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/how-i-keep-trying-to-force-our-story-into-a-fairy-tale-but-from-the/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“He wildly combed his hair with his fingers. “I can’t bear to be out there with you right now, all those indifferent people watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/he-wildly-combed-his-hair-with-his-fingers-i-can-t-bear-to-be-out/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [But, how do you know if an ending is truly good for the characters unless you've traveled with them through every page?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/but-how-do-you-know-if-an-ending-is-truly-good-for-the-characters/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“Sometimes it seems my identity’s a matter of opinion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/sometimes-it-seems-my-identity-s-a-matter-of-opinion/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [The snow was too light to stay, the ground too warm to keep it. And the strange spring snow fell only in that golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/the-snow-was-too-light-to-stay-the-ground-too-warm-to-keep-it-and-the/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [Even the jerks earn some of our affection. We can be glad they're gone and yet still mourn the good parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/even-the-jerks-earn-some-of-our-affection-we-can-be-glad-they-re-gone/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [Smell is the voice of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/smell-is-the-voice-of-the-soul/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“It was my jewelry!” Briar shouted after his father because he’d forgotten to ask what was stolen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/it-was-my-jewelry-briar-shouted-after-his-father-because-he-d/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [Oh, but I like my geese. Like cats, they can't be told what to do, and like dogs, they're loyal, and like people, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/oh-but-i-like-my-geese-like-cats-they-can-t-be-told-what-to-do-and/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

[Explore all 358 Shannon Hale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

## More Learning quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/)

[Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [Learning from the best, you will eventually become the best if you have the talent already, if you have that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/learning-from-the-best-you-will-eventually-become-the-best-if-you/)

[Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/)

> [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/)

[Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/)

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

[H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/)

> [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/)

[Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/)

[S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/)

[Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her understanding. Each year a trunk put on a new ring of growth, and within those rings she found the tree's own story. She listened to the scent of it, the feel, the sound, and her mind gave it words- soil, water, sap, light...and before, night and rain, dry and sun, wind and night...the drowsy stillness of leaves in a rainfall, the sparkling eagerness of leaves in the sun, and always the pulling up of the branches, the tugging down of the roots, the forever growing in tow directions, joing sky and soil, and a center to keep it strong... -Rin, Forest Born”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shannon Hale"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-mood-but-her-understanding-each/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Learning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-mood-but-her-understanding-each/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/892/shannon-hale-827_learning_soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-moo_2449326.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Soon the trees affected not only her mood but her understanding. Each year a trunk put on a new ring of…” — Shannon Hale",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Shannon Hale",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Soon the trees affected not only...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-mood-but-her-understanding-each/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/soon-the-trees-affected-not-only-her-mood-but-her-understanding-each/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
