I have always been a lover of trees, but, being a desert-city dweller for most of my life, I haven’t experienced the joys of sitting under the canopy of sheltering trees. In the past, I have spent occasions wandering among the lofty trees in the Pacific Northwest; and, this past summer, I enthusiastically roamed the southern Utah area exploring the majestic varieties of juniper, aspen and bristlecone pines.
I was reminded that much might be gained by understanding, or remembering, the nature of trees and their lifecycle or growth and regeneration.
Fred Hageneder, author of “The Spirit of Trees: The Science Symbiosis and Inspiration,” writes:
Trees are one of Earth’s oldest life forms: silent witnesses to human evolution and the passing of time. Many people today take the presence of trees for granted, unaware of their greater significance in Earth’s ecology, their medicinal and nutritional properties, or the veneration bestowed on them by ancient peoples.
Symbolically, the Talmud, Book of Mormon, Quran, Buddhist and Hindu poems, indeed, all the Holy Scriptures, have references to trees as the symbol of the interconnected nature of life, truth and wisdom, and the pursuit of knowledge. In fact, the Bible has over 320 verses that reference trees.
As the days become shorter, the reduced amount of light shining on the leaves sends powerful signals through the tree, and it begins to ceremoniously release its leaves, in gratitude, knowing that thankfulness for the cycle of life is ever-changing and necessary for the rings of the tree to expand and grow.
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