(Photos by Microsoft Clipart) ~~ How many of you have walked along a path in the park or through the woods and felt the energy of nature. The aliveness of life is fresh and soothing as you hear the birds singing and smell the earth as you put one foot in front of the other. And then…there are the trees standing tall with light streaming down through their branches.
I love trees no matter what size, no matter what type. It always gives me a twinge whenever I hear someone having to clear their land and cut down trees. A part of me aches for the trees. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they are rooted and cannot run for their lives.
I read this beautiful little book by Kent Nerburn called, Small Graces: The Quiet Gifts of Everyday Life. In it he talks about making friends with trees no matter where he lives. He finds we have so much in common with them. Here is what he says,
“They have their feet on the ground, their heads in the sky. They respond to the movement of the wind, the changes of the season. They have moods, aridities, joys. They like company.
In their scale they are perhaps our most intimate companions; their lives are understandable in years, not aeons; their size in feet, not miles. We can watch them grow, give forth their fruit, send forth their young. We can touch them without feeling alien, or as if we are violating their wildness. We sense their private courage.”
I’m a tree hugger. I remember one time, when I was working as a loan officer for mortgages, I would walk around my neighborhood getting to know my neighbors and leaving a door hanger with a little gift and postcard soliciting my services. I called it my walk-abouts. Because we live in the mountains you don’t see all the homes tucked away down a lonesome lane or up a long, wooded driveway passing by in a car as you do when you’re on foot.
So, I picked this asphalt driveway. It looked nice with an open gate and a stone entryway. I started walking, and then hiked as this driveway turned into a road and took many twists and turns taking me up higher through trees and rock outcroppings. I had walked in almost a mile when the road opened up to valleys all around and more trees and I could see below to the highway. It was beautiful but I was wondering where this road was leading me.
As I continued walking, I came upon this strangely shaped tree just off the 
asphalt. It almost looked like an adult pine tree shaped similar to a bonsai and, as I approached, it seemed to call to me. I stood and admired it and it communed with me without words. I put my arms around it and hugged it and felt its strength and “private courage” as Kent Nerburn said in the passage above.
I continued on and at the end the road turned into a circle drive with a beautiful log home rising up like The Ponderosa with its separate mother-in-law home to the side and an outdoor, colored rubber basketball court against the huge outcroppings. I thought I’d come upon a mansion. No one was home and their Rottweiler guard dog was a little suspicious of me.
I left my door hanger while keeping an eye on their dog and made my way back down the road happy with my adventure and over taken with the majestic beauty before my eyes. I greeted the uniquely shaped tree in passing on my way down and thanked it for the energy it shared with me that day.
I’d often contemplated what they might have thought, if they had security cameras, seeing this “crazy” lady walking up their road, hugging a tree, talking to their dog and leaving a door hanger. Not long after that I no longer worked in the mortgage industry and they closed their gates and I honored that. What a shame that door closed.
At least I know of a beautiful home not far from mine that is embraced with a curiously wonderful tree that I might have an occasion to see again on some other opportunity, perhaps on another adventure.
If you get a chance – hug a tree. You might be surprised by their warmth and energy and willingness to commune and share secrets – captured by their private courage.
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Hi Pat,
What a beautiful story, written so well, I could see and feel all you had written about…including you hugging that tree. teehee.
Our business (excavation) puts us in a position where we see trees come down – in the name of progress, or because of fire danger. It is sad to see that, but on the other hand it’s even more sad when someone loses their home due to a fire because they didn’t create a “fire barrier”, or have a shake roof (which is great fuel for forest fires.
I like it when we are able to save most of the trees from coming down, but yet the home is protected in case of a fire.
I love trees. I have always told my husband that I will go where he goes as long as there are trees. I feel a very strong connection to trees. Being around them seems to be very healing. When we moved to our current home 8 years ago, I walked out in the yard and introduced myself to each of the big trees in our yard. We have a young pecan tree and a number of big oaks that may be 100 years old or more. I almost envy you living in the country. We live in the middle of a small, busy city.
Barbara – thank you for your kind thoughts and comments.
I can understand what you mean about fire from living in the mountains and keeping a clearance around our homes.
A few years ago we had a series of fires and it’s devastating when animals are lost and homes are destroyed.
The High Meadow fire came within a 1/2 mile from our home and we could see the flames. All it would have taken would have been a shift in the wind and it would have not been good. After that the Hayman fire which destroyed over 100,000 acres.
There’s the harmony of appreciating and living with nature – hugging a tree is a little thing but huge in terms of spiritually connecting to the whole.
I’m glad you could picture what I wrote in that story. It was an interesting experience.
Blessings,
Patricia – I can picture you going to every tree and introducing yourself. I’ll bet since then you’ve felt a gentle strength around your home from their acknowledgement.
I haven’t thought of doing that but it’s a good idea. We have mostly pine trees on our property – around 20 trees. Some of them have taken their strikes from the storms and have scars to show for it.
Yes, they are our gentle giants. I love them too.
Patricia – thank you for your mention of this article on trees in your recent post on Gratitude.
I’m happy and thankful that we’re able to inspire each other.
Hi Pat,
Interesting post. I also like trees but here is no much trees in city. We have to travel about an hour to see many trees as like the one in the picture of this post. However,There are trees everywhere in village.
I haven’t felt the strength of the trees- may be I will walk again by the trees and try to feel though I have lived in village and have seen many trees.
At last, I hope the gate of the house will open again and you could go to see and hug that tree.
Hi Jirel – thanks for stopping by and commenting on trees.
Our forests and trees are different here in the Rocky Mountains than they are on the East Coast of the U.S. and here we have a lot of openness.
If you’re open to the possibility and explore your feelings when you walk in a park or travel to the village where there are more trees, I think you’ll sense what I’m talking about.
I’m interested in what you discover. Let me know.
Love your feedback and interest and hope you’ll come back and tell us what you found.
Pat, this is lovely I am so happy you shared the link with me. Today I headed out to pay my two bills and run a couple of errands. The day was cold, barely 42 degrees, yet I soon lost all realization of the cold when spotting some of the lovely colors the trees were sporting. I noticed one tree that had lost all it’s bark on one section, I felt so sad for that tree. I stopped (yes in front of a home) to touch the tree, feel its life force, and then photographed a section to remember. I am currently working on a dresser for my granddaughter. She visited at a time when I’d finally gotten all the veneer off the top, yet still covered in glue. She noticed the grain of the wood, the knots still there after 100 years. She touched it and traced the markings then asked me to leave the frame unpainted so she could remember the tree that became her dresser. I was so touched by her gentle touch and need to keep the wood exposed. I’ll share more about that when I share the finished dresser, but thought you would like to know that I believe you and I are not alone, more and more people, including children, are noticing the trees and our connection to them.
I love this, Lois, what you shared — the tree, feeling its life force and how your love of trees has translated to your granddaughter. It means so much that we have this connection in common and that you get it. So many things go unnoticed, as we barrel through our days. But, oh, how special it is when we notice, connect and feel that life force. I’m there with you, girlfriend and can only imagine how lovely it felt. 🙂
It was lovely Pat. I too enjoy working on the furniture I find especially when it is made from real wood. I enjoy running my hands over it as the grain appears and even cut and dead for so many years there is still an energy that remains. It is so good to talk to another person who understands. 🙂
I’ve never learned woodworking, Lois, but I suppose, if I did, I would feel the same about the wood. Not only the texture of the grain and feel of the energy but the smell. I love the smell of wood walking through a forest or at Christmas the scent of pine. It captures the smells of the earth.
Me too, my friend, I like that we can talk with each other on things like this and understand. 🙂
Yes, Pat the smell. There isn’t much of a scent left on the dried wood especially the really old pieces when working on furniture. The energy is still there, not as strong as when alive, but there nonetheless. It’s part of why I don’t like using power sanders. Using a sander I lose the connection to the piece and the noise drives me nuts. 🙂
Lois – It must truly be satisfying working with your hands bringing the wood back to life. You have many gifts and talents. 🙂
Pat, anyone can learn to work on furniture. I began this when I was a single mother and wanted to have nicer things for my children. I taught myself and therefore do it differently than professionals, but in the end it looks the same as if I had done it the same way.
I applaud you, Lois, for the ability and initiative to teach yourself this furniture craft, especially when it turns out looking the same as professionals.
I can certainly appreciate the skill and difficulty, when I see my daughter building her own keepsake trunks and learning how to operate a table saw (you can see her trunks at Myla Stone & Co. — http://www.myla-stone.com).
Pat, her trunks and journals are gorgeous!! I don’t use many power tools as I am afraid my lack of strength would result in some serious injuries.
Thank you, Lois, for checking it out. It swells my proud heart. 🙂
It’s a testament to her talent and fortitude much like yours. When I saw her photo on FB with a new power saw last summer, I was blown away. She’s got more courage than I. I think I’d be like you in attempting to use one.
Yes, there are definite hazards with power tools. I avoid the circular saws as I know if you hit a knot in wood with them it can jerk the saw and if not strong enough you can do some serious damage. I can handle a jig saw on thinner items, and as long as I have the right drill I’m usually safe. 🙂
Well, you have a lot of courage, Lois, for tackling them in the first place. I’m glad you take every precaution in being safe, my friend. 🙂
Pat, thank you. I have learned my limits, it’s taken me a lot of years but I finally learned them the hard way. 😉
Learning is always good — hope it wasn’t too hard for you, Lois. 🙂
I just had to swallow my pride. 🙂
Don’t think it’s so much swallowing pride, Lois, as in that you have common sense and use what you’ve got to use. There’s is much you have accomplished and to be proud of, my friend. 🙂
Thank you, Pat. But for me I kept going as long as I did because i was stubborn, so it really was swallowing my pride to accept limitations on my abilities. I have adjusted and am keeping busy as you know. It’s a different lifestyle, but it’s mine. 🙂
I know what you mean, Lois. Admitting those limitations is hard but, when we do, that’s when we can really get down to business with being who we are and living the life we want. Sounds to me like you’re well on your way with that. 🙂
Pat, you put it better than I did, but yes, once I quit fighting to keep the status quo and began to look for what I could still do I found my peace of mind. 🙂
I can see where you’ve done that and the success you’ve had. I think I’m still a work in progress. Hopefully, I’m not too far behind you, though LOL. 🙂
I doubt you are. 🙂
🙂 you’re the best, Lois, thank you!