There are many things in nature that I love. All the little critters, of course, except the big spiders, I am not fond of them at all. I love rock formations and the sunrise and the sunset and the quality of light and how it changes through the seasons. I love water in all its many guises. I love leaves and grasses and stumps and vines and fence posts and all the many varieties of acorns. I love it all really but most of all I love the trees!!
I have numerous favorite trees around the area. Some I have to worship from afar because I will not trespass on another person's land. Some I can walk right up to and some require more of a trek. Many of them are sycamores with their beautiful white bark. A few are gnarly, giant oaks with massive branches and I passionately adore the dance of Osage Orange (aka Hedge Apple) trees.
I visit my trees and I talk to them. I mourn with them when they lose big branches. I feel an incredible sadness when they fall down or are cut down. I tell them how much I admire their resiliency and their ability to grow and spread their roots in impossible places. I admire the intricacies of their roots as they try to hang on to a rock face or an eroding river bank.
This past Saturday I got to re-visit some of my favorite friends on a trail near Stockton Lake Dam. On this one trail are 3 massive, old, sycamore trees. One of them is particularly old and just huge. I am in awe of its size and majesty. It has a very strong presence. My favorite is another huge sycamore holding up a fallen tree that has died and now lies balanced in the sycamore's haunch. This dead tree is one of my all-time favorites. It has a beautiful, smooth texture and I know this sounds silly but bear with me, it has a kind of draw to it or a siren call if you will. I have to touch it and embrace it and it has this grounding spirit about it. I feel as if it is a friend that I have not seen in a long time and now we are reconnecting.
If you ever encounter my friend and I in the woods you will notice that we are touching the trees gently, or patting them, or resting our foreheads against their trunks. We are honoring their presence in this world and it feels like church to us. It's a very spiritual experience. Just try it sometime. Go out and about and find a tree that kind of speaks to you with its beauty or its presence. Say hello and quietly rest your forehead against it and feel the power of its quiet essence. Just stand there for a minute and listen. It will do your heart and your soul a world of good.
