“A TREE WITH STRONG ROOTS LAUGHS AT STORMS”
An old Malay Proverb.
I have driven a few thousand kilometres in the past weeks and have been delighted passing through so many green thriving landscapes from the NSW Central West to the Qld Central West and to the coast of North Queensland. There were a few drier areas but most of the country I travelled through was lush and green, or at least, full of plenty of feed for animals.
What struck me was so many magnificent healthy trees. With some years of drought behind us (and there are some areas still in drought!) it is stunning to see trees producing their full quota of rich leaves and in many cases, heads of beautiful flowers.
I have long been a lover of trees and believe the Earth would not be sustainable without them.
I also believe trees are a great analogy for a successful and fruitful life for we humans. There is much to be learned from trees.
In Peter Wohlleben’s book “The Hidden Life of Trees” he explains the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration and the scientific systems in the life of a tree of which we are often blissfully unaware.
“Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick and struggling creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impacts of heat and cold for the whole group.
“Trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old.
“In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group.”
His book is a fascinating read, but there are so many more parallels than we might imagine with the growth and life of trees.
Trees are a perfect metaphor for human communities.
As members of a western society we, as individuals, are probably more isolated in many ways than we have ever been. Belonging to a community is very important. In fact, ‘belonging’ is one of the basic needs of we human beings.
As children, like young saplings, we cannot thrive and grow to our greatest potential without being part of a family, a community, a village. You might recall the age-old African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
A lone tree is vulnerable, at the mercy of wind and weather, succumbing to the forces of the greater landscape. Sadly, loneliness in our society is too often an unwanted visitor. We, like trees, are not designed to be alone. Looking after and looking out for one another is something we can all achieve, a caring pursuit that results in a win/win for everyone.
Many trees have been on this Earth much longer than we, as human individuals, have been. Trees seem to have it well sorted. Maybe there is much that we can learn about surviving and thriving over the millennia from these amazing species if we are to find a more fruitful and fulfilling way to live.
Seasons of plenty are ideal times for building our Resilience in preparing for tougher times ahead. While conditions are are never completely ideal, we have a lot for which to be grateful, right now.
Much Love and Laughter to you all – every day,
