One year I went to Italy for a retreat and I
noticed that the olive trees were growing in
small groups. I was surprised and asked why
they'd been planted in groups of three or four.
Our friends explained that each group was
actually just one tree. One winter had been
so harsh that all the olive trees died. But deep
down the roots were still alive, and when
spring came, young shoots sprouted in groups,
so that instead of having one trunk, each
tree had three or four. They appeared to be
separate olive trees, but in fact they were one. 95