My Thoughts On Trees
I have a weird obsession with trees. By weird, I mean most people find it weird, I find it sort of beautiful. I think they are absolutely incredible. If you think about it, within one single tree there is an entire world up there. An entire community of animals who call that tree their home, all living together in coexistence. I love how they are constantly changing. I live in a “deciduous forest”, so the leaves turn colors that look like the sunset in fall, then lose their leaves in winter, blossom into delicate flowers in spring, and turn a healthy, vibrant shade of green in the summer. I love how every single one is different, how every branch is so intricate and they all intertwine together. I love how they seem so wise. They tower over the world, standing strong and powerful, like each one has its own story to tell. I love trees.
I don’t know many other people who feel this way, because I feel like trees are so taken for granted, since they’re all around us every single day. I also find it funny that people miss the freshness and life of trees in the winter, when they look sad and lifeless. People talk about how they want to see green again, but when summer comes around, it’s completely taken advantage of. How many people do you know who actually just take a minute to admire a tree, or really anything in nature? Who just stops and marvels at the beauty this earth has given us, and be truly thankful to be a part of it? Not many I assume.
I wish more people could realize how important this is. I hate the fact that people take this earth for granted. I hate how so few people actually understand how beautiful this planet is. Everyone is so caught up within themselves, that they don’t even notice the beauty in nature. It’s not their fault though. This is happening because of modern society. Our society is in constant ‘go, go, go’ mode, and nobody really even spares the time to just look out the window at nature and all it holds.
There is a book that has literally enlightened me, called Mindfulness and the Natural World by Claire Thompson (I honestly never would have looked twice at this, but it was in the sale section at Barnes and Nobles for like eight bucks, and decided to grab it). And it’s all about waking up and becoming conscious of our natural surroundings, because we are nature. There is a quote from that book that has resonated through me ever since I read it; “When a person, animal, or plant is born, it is the result of the union of natural elements into life. When we die, these elements separate again and return to the rest of nature. In simple terms, the coming together and the separation of nature’s building blocks are the essence of life and death. This suggests that life and death are simply the result of natural elements rearranging themselves. Isn’t this a beautiful realization? Our bodies are a gift from the natural world, enabling us to embody life on the planet”. The book also features another quote from Alan Watts, “You didn’t come into this world; you came out of it, like a wave from the ocean”. This was seriously such a wake up call to me. I finally understood, that nature and I are not separated, we are one. We are united. This has led to me being so much more in harmony with the world. I wish everyone can feel this way.
Also, this has led to my interest in environmental issues. I’ve wanted to be in the music industry since I was little, but recently I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore. I felt totally lost. Honestly, because of the awakening I’ve had because of this book, I’ve changed my focus to environmental sciences. I truly have found my calling. I finally see the beauty in this world, and have such a strong desire to show others its beauty. I believe that when people snap out of this trance that our ‘go, go, go’ society has put us under, they will finally understand that this is the only planet we have. It has given us life and supplied everything we have for us, and all we do is take from it. We need to establish an equilibrium of taking and giving back. That is the only way our planet can be healed.
I want to finish again by talking about trees. I find it funny how so many people think my admiration over them is weird, it really shows what kind of society we live in. I ask every single one of you to just go outside sometime, and just look at a tree. Really look at it. Just do it, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
