Day 17 - A Tree Evangelist

Today I woke up from a dream. I was looking up from the base of Madonna at her limbs swaying gracefully and fully in the wind. Simple, that’s it. Just as if I were there. This was potent to me as a few nights before as I bid my farewell, I lay against one of her 13 sister trunks and asked her to come to me in a dream – and it happened. I feel as if my nervous system and hers are becoming attuned.

As I moved about mi casa I fell into some tiresome thoughts involving resentment towards a couple people in my life. I am not proud to bear this tightness around my heart. But, alas I am human - and dark, pesky and obsessive thoughts come as they will. I tried meditating the resentments away but only fell into obsessive stories about not being recognized or supported by a couple people…blah, blah…aw burdensome thoughts.

So Dolly and I tracked off to Madonna. It was a bit of a blustery gray day as has been the norm this week. The winter wrens in the forest alighted our path with birdsong. But I could hardly hear them as I continued to have conversations with people in my mind who weren’t there.

I greeted Madonna and performed my patented six breath ritual then sat down at her base. I put my hand against her and told her all about my resentments. Dolly rolled about on the grass while I sat. Ten minutes perhaps went by and I noticed my mind had noticeably calmed and the obsessive thoughts had receded. As my morning hour with her stretched on, I became aware that my entire nervous system had quieted down. Where there had been resentment, there was now spaciousness. I let everyone off the hook. It wasn’t anyone else’s responsibility to see me, understand me or support me. I was free. And all because of a tree.

In fact every day I notice this. Time with a tree harmonizes all thoughts, settles all turbulent feelings, takes away muddled perceptions. I think I becoming a tree evangelist.