How do I love trees? Let me count the ways...

Reflections

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Elaine
3 years ago

Revering, learning, being an activist ally on behalf of the remaining old growth forests in BC. I’m worried sick about bad practices, weak political choices arising from colonialist disconnection from the natural world.

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Revering, learning, being an activist ally on behalf of the remaining old growth forests in BC. I’m worried sick about bad practices, weak political choices arising from colonialist disconnection from the natural world.

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O.Christina
3 years ago

As a child, I loved the beech tree close by, it allowed to climb into it, to sit there for a while, feeling it´s strong stem and branches to hold me and give shelter when I was feeling lonely, comforting me so that peace returned. I feel they are most beautiful in all their variety, standing firm, life-giving friends of all colors and shapes. Through their green foliage collecting rays of the sun, they are transforming light into breath, and so enabling life for all living beings. They give home to the birds and shelter for the deer, nourishment for the mushrooms and solace for all. They are interconnected through their roots, communicating with all of life. How alive, and how utterly beautiful.

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As a child, I loved the beech tree close by, it allowed to climb into it, to sit there for a while, feeling it´s strong stem and branches to hold me and give shelter when I was feeling lonely, comforting me so that peace returned. I feel they are most beautiful in all their variety, standing firm, life-giving friends of all colors and shapes. Through their green foliage collecting rays of the sun, they are transforming light into breath, and so enabling life for all living beings. They give home to the birds and shelter for the deer, nourishment for the mushrooms and solace for all. They are interconnected through their roots, communicating with all of life. How alive, and how utterly beautiful.

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WhiskersJellie
3 years ago

I’ve long appreciated the trees growing up around a yard. As a child, my own yards hosted pomegranate, avacado, orange and lemon trees, so I grew up privileged by fragrance and nourishment just beyond my patio. Since moving to the Southern portion of the United States, I’ve been struck by the visual splendor that a tree can reveal. One of my favorite meditative times is just at dusk. I take a walk around my block and let the various trees around the yards dazzle me. Magnolias glow with blooms larger than dinner plates. Crepe myrtles twist towards the sky like sculptures, their white top bark curling back in ringlets to reveal the deep auburn beneath. Nearly every tree is trellis to ivy, trumpet vine or wisteria, and sometimes branches drip with Spanish Moss. Fireflies flash warm white fairy lights among the canopies. The trees here are alive, in a way that science hasn’t yet understood.

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I've long appreciated the trees growing up around a yard. As a child, my own yards hosted pomegranate, avacado, orange and lemon trees, so I grew up privileged by fragrance and nourishment just beyond my patio. Since moving to the Southern portion of the United States, I've been struck by the visual splendor that a tree can reveal. One of my favorite meditative times is just at dusk. I take a walk around my block and let the various trees around the yards dazzle me. Magnolias glow with blooms larger than dinner plates. Crepe myrtles twist towards the sky like sculptures, their white top bark curling back in ringlets to reveal the deep auburn beneath. Nearly every tree is trellis to ivy, trumpet vine or wisteria, and sometimes branches drip with Spanish Moss. Fireflies flash warm white fairy lights among the canopies. The trees here are alive, in a way that science hasn't yet understood.

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Cathie
3 years ago

Trees comfort, shade and energize me. I would be uncomfortable living in the plains area.
When we lived in Texas I finally found an area with hills and trees! When we moved in, I realized many of the trees were stressed, so I called a tree company for help. They hung IV bags on them and fed them for months. Years later, I returned to see our old home and the trees were still there and healthy!
We try to take care of our trees for all they do for us.

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Trees comfort, shade and energize me. I would be uncomfortable living in the plains area. When we lived in Texas I finally found an area with hills and trees! When we moved in, I realized many of the trees were stressed, so I called a tree company for help. They hung IV bags on them and fed them for months. Years later, I returned to see our old home and the trees were still there and healthy! We try to take care of our trees for all they do for us.

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1. Michele
  3 years ago
  
  Thanks for sharing, ‘you learn something new everyday’ … I never heard of IV bags for trees, awesome!
  
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  Thanks for sharing, 'you learn something new everyday' ... I never heard of IV bags for trees, awesome!
  
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Misha Raza
3 years ago

I don’t think I appreciate them as living things that help me breathe. But now that I think of all the asthma issues I am having, I feel I appreciate them more.

Seeing trees also makes me happy since I feel closer to nature, and seeing nature allows me to clear my mind.

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I don't think I appreciate them as living things that help me breathe. But now that I think of all the asthma issues I am having, I feel I appreciate them more. Seeing trees also makes me happy since I feel closer to nature, and seeing nature allows me to clear my mind.

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  carol
  3 years ago
  
  I too have asthma,. As I read your reflection I remembered the ease of breath in a late spring maple bush. Thank you for reminding me.
  
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  I too have asthma,. As I read your reflection I remembered the ease of breath in a late spring maple bush. Thank you for reminding me.
  
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  Misha Raza
  3 years ago
  
  I also remember my grandmother telling me how she would talk to her plants and trees, and it would show in their growth and bloom. Never practised it but found it interesting.
  
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  I also remember my grandmother telling me how she would talk to her plants and trees, and it would show in their growth and bloom. Never practised it but found it interesting.
  
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db82258
3 years ago

My belief is all of Nature is God’s Majesty. In the woods I feel this inner joy as described in this essay by Emerson

“In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth.

Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years.

In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, – no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair.

Standing on the bare ground, – my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, – all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.

The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental: to be brothers, to be acquaintances, – master or servant, is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty.

In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature.”

as my blossom is a part of, we are all one

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My belief is all of Nature is God’s Majesty. In the woods I feel this inner joy as described in this essay by Emerson "In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, - no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, - my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, - all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental: to be brothers, to be acquaintances, - master or servant, is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature." as my blossom is a part of, we are all one

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  WhiskersJellie
  3 years ago
  
  Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece, and your beautiful connection to nature. It’s hard to feel distant and separate from life when you’re immersed in nature. We truly are all one!
  
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  Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece, and your beautiful connection to nature. It's hard to feel distant and separate from life when you're immersed in nature. We truly are all one!
  
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Don Jones
3 years ago

They are part of us. We breathe together as one. We cannot exist without them.

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They are part of us. We breathe together as one. We cannot exist without them.

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pkr
3 years ago

I Love Love Trees. I live in a neighborhood that has glorious Redwood Trees here, there & everywhere. Giant ones, big ones, medium and small ones, multiple sizes. I walk everyday under their canopies, touching them, talking to them. I hear birds singing in their dense branches. I am in complete and utter awe of these magnificent works of the Almighty. They are a site to behold. Walking everyday in this “urban forest” is healing me as I grieve the loss of my cherished brother & my dear Mom. I must say the Redwoods are saving me from despair & deep sadness. I am so blessed to have them at my fingertips.
Thank you Redwoods. ❤️🙏❤️

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I Love Love Trees. I live in a neighborhood that has glorious Redwood Trees here, there & everywhere. Giant ones, big ones, medium and small ones, multiple sizes. I walk everyday under their canopies, touching them, talking to them. I hear birds singing in their dense branches. I am in complete and utter awe of these magnificent works of the Almighty. They are a site to behold. Walking everyday in this “urban forest” is healing me as I grieve the loss of my cherished brother & my dear Mom. I must say the Redwoods are saving me from despair & deep sadness. I am so blessed to have them at my fingertips. Thank you Redwoods. ❤️🙏❤️

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  WhiskersJellie
  3 years ago
  
  I so relate to your experience of trees and nature bringing deep healing. May you continue to experience that comfort and healing each day
  
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  I so relate to your experience of trees and nature bringing deep healing. May you continue to experience that comfort and healing each day
  
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Nancy
3 years ago

I love hearing the wind in the trees, the shade they give on a hot day. I love that they give home and shelter to the birds I love. I love watching their changes throughout the seasons. I do love trees!

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I love hearing the wind in the trees, the shade they give on a hot day. I love that they give home and shelter to the birds I love. I love watching their changes throughout the seasons. I do love trees!

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Mica
3 years ago

I love trees. My grandfather and one of his students published a book about them. I love the silk oaks on my balcony and neighborhood. They’re not actually oak trees [Quercus] and they have fern-like leaves. The ones on my balcony have such delicate leaves, and the unsheltered ones in the neighborhood have simpler leaves that withstand the weather without breaking. I love plants. As I get old and forgetful, I don’t want to forget plant names, so I have a list of the names of the plants on my balcony. I’m sort of ashamed that I don’t have the same desire to remember the names of people 🙁

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I love trees. My grandfather and one of his students published a book about them. I love the silk oaks on my balcony and neighborhood. They're not actually oak trees [Quercus] and they have fern-like leaves. The ones on my balcony have such delicate leaves, and the unsheltered ones in the neighborhood have simpler leaves that withstand the weather without breaking. I love plants. As I get old and forgetful, I don't want to forget plant names, so I have a list of the names of the plants on my balcony. I'm sort of ashamed that I don't have the same desire to remember the names of people :(

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Hot Sauce
3 years ago

1. Trees give off much of the oxygen we breathe.
2. Trees are aesthetically pleasing.
3. Trees serve as places for birds to nest, demonstrating natures reciprocal nature with itself.
4. Trees give off W-waves that warn other trees when even one tree is threatened, giving an example of how we ought to live as a community.
5. Trees provide us with much of the plants we eat.
6. Trees are an extraordinary part of the earth’s interconnected biodiversity.
7. The wood from trees provides us with paper.
8. Trees provide shade from the heat.

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1. Trees give off much of the oxygen we breathe. 2. Trees are aesthetically pleasing. 3. Trees serve as places for birds to nest, demonstrating natures reciprocal nature with itself. 4. Trees give off W-waves that warn other trees when even one tree is threatened, giving an example of how we ought to live as a community. 5. Trees provide us with much of the plants we eat. 6. Trees are an extraordinary part of the earth's interconnected biodiversity. 7. The wood from trees provides us with paper. 8. Trees provide shade from the heat.

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Charlie T
3 years ago

Ahhh, just thinking about trees, calms me.

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Ahhh, just thinking about trees, calms me.

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Laura
3 years ago

I’ve always loved the majesty and beauty of trees but reading “The Hidden Life of Trees” was a revelation. Trees have some level of awareness.
Oaks will feed extra nutrients to their saplings to help them win the race to the top against the other varieties. They “choose” when to produce acorns based on past weather information, which is somehow stored within them.

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I’ve always loved the majesty and beauty of trees but reading “The Hidden Life of Trees” was a revelation. Trees have some level of awareness. Oaks will feed extra nutrients to their saplings to help them win the race to the top against the other varieties. They “choose” when to produce acorns based on past weather information, which is somehow stored within them.

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1. Mica
  3 years ago
  
  Thank you, Laura!
  
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  Thank you, Laura!
  
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Mary Pat
3 years ago

Trees are sacramental ‘beings’ to me. Maybe not as we see beings, but I do hold them to be very special.
There is a tree in our Open Space that I, and others I have spoken with, find peace and calmness beneath it.

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Trees are sacramental 'beings' to me. Maybe not as we see beings, but I do hold them to be very special. There is a tree in our Open Space that I, and others I have spoken with, find peace and calmness beneath it.

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1. Mica
  3 years ago
  
  Thank you, Mary Pat – I forgot tree hugging as a way I love trees. Your post reminds me of that.
  
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  Thank you, Mary Pat - I forgot tree hugging as a way I love trees. Your post reminds me of that.
  
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sunnypatti48317
3 years ago

Trees give so much life. They are a great example to us… there are so many different kinds, all with their own roles. They are rooted in the ground, but they sway with the wind as needed. If a branch needs to be trimmed or removed, they learn to grow in a new direction. They offer safety and the energy they emit is incredible. I can’t help but think of my college years…we used to always say, “hug a tree.” I appreciate the fruit, flowers, and shade that they give. I am feeling rooted just thinking about them all!

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Trees give so much life. They are a great example to us... there are so many different kinds, all with their own roles. They are rooted in the ground, but they sway with the wind as needed. If a branch needs to be trimmed or removed, they learn to grow in a new direction. They offer safety and the energy they emit is incredible. I can't help but think of my college years...we used to always say, "hug a tree." I appreciate the fruit, flowers, and shade that they give. I am feeling rooted just thinking about them all!

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carol
3 years ago

A sense of safety and calm arises within me when I see or am in a forest or bush and sometimes a tree alone will do . There is a very old tree in Elk River, near Moscow Idaho that is thought to be 3000 years old. Sitting in a hollow in that tree, watching and looking and thinking about who lives here and whom, both human and animal have passed this way before, I am in awe.

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A sense of safety and calm arises within me when I see or am in a forest or bush and sometimes a tree alone will do . There is a very old tree in Elk River, near Moscow Idaho that is thought to be 3000 years old. Sitting in a hollow in that tree, watching and looking and thinking about who lives here and whom, both human and animal have passed this way before, I am in awe.

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Pilgrim
3 years ago

Trees have had my heart my entire life. They have been my solace, my hiding place as a child, the woods my walking places where I can breathe deeply. listen and watch for birds and other wildlife. I put my hand on the trunk of a tree and I can feel the life force shared as gift.

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Trees have had my heart my entire life. They have been my solace, my hiding place as a child, the woods my walking places where I can breathe deeply. listen and watch for birds and other wildlife. I put my hand on the trunk of a tree and I can feel the life force shared as gift.

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devy
3 years ago

Trees are Mother Nature’s lungs. They are sacred and thus we must respect them more and take care of them. Their health and being present is essential for our own. Survival.

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Trees are Mother Nature’s lungs. They are sacred and thus we must respect them more and take care of them. Their health and being present is essential for our own. Survival.

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Lee Anne
3 years ago

Trees speak to us if we listen. They have millions of beings living within and on them. Their roots send communications to the roots of other trees. They are sacred, and we cannot live without them. Imagine the stories they have to tell! Lay your hands on their trunks and give them your energy. They will respond. 🌳💜

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Trees speak to us if we listen. They have millions of beings living within and on them. Their roots send communications to the roots of other trees. They are sacred, and we cannot live without them. Imagine the stories they have to tell! Lay your hands on their trunks and give them your energy. They will respond. 🌳💜

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1. Michele
  3 years ago
  
  love this💖
  
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  love this💖
  
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    Lee Anne
    3 years ago
    
    🥰💜
    
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    🥰💜
    
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EJP
3 years ago

Trees see and hear all, but tell nothing.

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Trees see and hear all, but tell nothing.

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Kevin
3 years ago

Trees are holy places.

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Trees are holy places.

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Michele
3 years ago

Weeping Willow Trees have always been one of my favorite trees. My home in Pa (that my one daughter still lives in) has two that I planted years ago. Living in Fl, I love the Oak trees with Spanish moss – hauntingly beautiful. Birch trees are so pretty too. I love when I get to go on my trip to Hills Creek State Park in October – autumn makes the drive worth it – breathtaking. Yep, I love trees:)

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Weeping Willow Trees have always been one of my favorite trees. My home in Pa (that my one daughter still lives in) has two that I planted years ago. Living in Fl, I love the Oak trees with Spanish moss – hauntingly beautiful. Birch trees are so pretty too. I love when I get to go on my trip to Hills Creek State Park in October - autumn makes the drive worth it - breathtaking. Yep, I love trees:)

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1. Mica
  3 years ago
  
  Yes, Michele – weeping willows. Thanks for the reminder. There’s a lovely one near my condo whose leaves reach down into the lake. Beautiful! And moose eat the ones by my bro’s office window in Wyoming.
  
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  Yes, Michele - weeping willows. Thanks for the reminder. There's a lovely one near my condo whose leaves reach down into the lake. Beautiful! And moose eat the ones by my bro's office window in Wyoming.
  
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  1. Michele
    3 years ago
    
    Nice:) I have trees on both my home and work computer as my desktop wallpaper, lol.
    
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    Nice:) I have trees on both my home and work computer as my desktop wallpaper, lol.
    
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Antoinette
3 years ago

The apple blossoms have all fallen off the two trees in my yard. I love to watch trees the way they give with no ideas about giving. They are the perfect example of the truth. They show us the true universe with no worries, doubts, complaints- they inter- are with everything. An excellent example of truth.

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The apple blossoms have all fallen off the two trees in my yard. I love to watch trees the way they give with no ideas about giving. They are the perfect example of the truth. They show us the true universe with no worries, doubts, complaints- they inter- are with everything. An excellent example of truth.

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Julian Daal Childers
3 years ago

The first thought in mind is just the beauty that trees have. How they can complete enchant my soroundings. I think to when I used to go to New Orleans and sit in Audibon park and the big Willow trees just made the place look anceint and magical.

Trees also give me a sense of grounding these huge structures that are so firmly rooted in the soil.

I guess there are a lot of principles and teachings that are bestowed by trees.

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The first thought in mind is just the beauty that trees have. How they can complete enchant my soroundings. I think to when I used to go to New Orleans and sit in Audibon park and the big Willow trees just made the place look anceint and magical. Trees also give me a sense of grounding these huge structures that are so firmly rooted in the soil. I guess there are a lot of principles and teachings that are bestowed by trees.

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Hermann-Josef
3 years ago

I love to see them grow, love their manifold forms, colors and smells. I love to touch them , think of them , being near them. I love to see them as forests and standing alone. They don‘t move yet they change. They take heat away and giving shadow. They breath , they live, they exist, they are wonderful beings. They are my friends who listen to me, and I try to be their friend. I love trees. They make me calm, quiet and respectful. Life without trees is not thinkable.

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I love to see them grow, love their manifold forms, colors and smells. I love to touch them , think of them , being near them. I love to see them as forests and standing alone. They don‘t move yet they change. They take heat away and giving shadow. They breath , they live, they exist, they are wonderful beings. They are my friends who listen to me, and I try to be their friend. I love trees. They make me calm, quiet and respectful. Life without trees is not thinkable.

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1. Pilgrim
  3 years ago
  
  Beautiful, Hermann-Joset! Thank you!
  
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  Beautiful, Hermann-Joset! Thank you!
  
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  gclamb
  3 years ago
  
  It made me happy to read this, very beautiful.
  
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  It made me happy to read this, very beautiful.
  
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Christine
3 years ago

Trees are beautiful, give shade, let the seasons live with color, hospitable to the birds, some bear fruit, they wave and rustle in the wind, they are very nice to lean against, and they are oh so important to existence on Mother Earth.🌳🙏

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Trees are beautiful, give shade, let the seasons live with color, hospitable to the birds, some bear fruit, they wave and rustle in the wind, they are very nice to lean against, and they are oh so important to existence on Mother Earth.🌳🙏

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How do I love trees? Let me count the ways…

Reflections

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