Trees of Life

Trees.  They are everywhere, and yet we take them so much for granted.  Some people totally dislike trees because they shed leaves that they have to rake up every autumn.  But how often do we stop and think about the trees around us and really appreciate them.  Trees are the stuff of life.  They take our carbon dioxide in, and breathe out oxygen for us.  Oxygen!  We  need that!   And now with the sun being so much more dangerous to us, we need the trees for their shade.

I am passionate about trees.  I know, it sounds pretty boring.  But have you ever sat and just looked at the trees outside your window?  You would think there is nothing much to look at, but it can be very meditative.  The way the sunlight plays on the leaves, the way the wind turns them, the birds that are chattering away inside them and building nests, and squirrels that are chasing each other through the branches.  Not to mention all the insect that live in trees that are food for the birds that live there. When a tree sheds its leaves in the fall those very same leaves provide a warm place for some insects to winter.  When a tree dies its trunk and bark break down in the compost for the soil.  Animals can live in the holes left by branches.  All sorts of life is protected and nourished by trees.  Humans need trees for their oxygen, for the wood, for the fruits that are produced, for the shade they provide.  Have you ever noticed how stark a new subdivision looks before the trees  mature?

How can we change people's feeling about trees and make them realize how vitally important they are, without coming across as a tree hugging hippie?  Although there are worse things a person could be called.  I hate to see trees being cut down to make way for a house being built.  It disturbs to see wooded areas cleared for a new subdivision.  And I can't even let myself think about what's happening to our rain forests.  It sends a chill through my very being. And I don't think people will realize how much we need them until they are gone, and then it's too late.

 When I moved in to my apartment two years ago, there was a really nice tree just in front of my balcony, I could actually reach out and touch it.  And there was a birds nest in it from a family of robins who had lived there in the spring.  I was SO excited that I would be able to watch this.  And then Hurricane Sandy came along and my tree became a victim of it.  I woke up one morning to find it leaning at a dangerous angle.  A few days later it was gone.   It broke my heart. I actually grieved for the tree.  Maybe I am little too invested in them!

The next time you are out walking, take a few minutes to just stand under a tree and enjoy it. Breathe it in.  Look closely at the leaves, and if there are none, look at the way the bare branches look against the sky.  I have many photographs of this.  It never gets old.  And as you are doing this, offer up a silent thank you to the universe for this glorious gift.