Sunday, May 6, 2012

Meeting a tree


47  55/365   me and a tree
Longwood Gardens, where a Beech helped me to stretch.
photo by Margaret Almon

The woman ducks into the tree.  Yes, that is what happened.  I was in the land of silence for a day and as I emerged from the Jesuit Center I saw a woman gently move the weeping branches so that she could venture into the tree.

How many times have I not looked closely at this wonderful tree I ask myself?  As I walk by the tree, I see the woman has climbed it.   I note this as marvelous and keep walking.  As I return the woman is emerging from the tree and I am moved to not be silent.  I approach her, apologize for my lack of silence, and thank her for introducing me to the tree.  It is clear that she loves the tree.

I draw a card for the woman who ducks into trees.  I include our business car so that she can connect if she so desires.

The next morning I duck into the tree.  Weeks pass.

I got an e-mail from the woman who ducks into trees and it inspired me to put together a set of photos of some trees I have met along the way.  Some are at Wernersville (I did not have my camera to take a photo of the weeping tree, but I will be back), many are Dogwoods, but not the one that graced my front yard when I was a child and teen.  But Dogwoods surround me.  My neighbor's stretches out to me when I walk down my porch steps.  At work one is the centerpiece of the largest flower garden my students and I maintain, and at church one greets me whenever I walk down the block.

Feel free to introduce me to a tree.  It makes my day more splendid.


8 comments:

  1. Sometimes, only trees have enough arms to hold us as much as we need.

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    1. Di ~~~ my childhood home was shadowed by large oaks. I was blessed.

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  2. My mother taught me to love trees.

    Then I was "mothered" by a tree in Tara, Ireland, a beech. I've never been the same! It was mystical, that's all I know. And I never felt such unconditional love as from all those mother-trees in the church yard there.

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    1. Ruth ~~~ In the midst of the oaks and the one dogwood there were some other trees including a large beech. I may need to take a drive one day to visit these trees of my youth. Thanks for sharing your tree story.

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  3. This is a mesmerizing tree (and photo!!), but I'd love to introduce you to some aspens in fall... I bet I could even find some orange ones for NugMeg!

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    1. Snowcatcher~~~ your aspen photos rock. I look forward to being reintroduced to them for many a fall. The tree did call out for the photo.

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  4. Wow! You've met some lovely trees!

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    1. Valerie ~~~ yes indeed. they tend to stick around and give you many a chance to meet them.

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