Trees

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Good Morning from under the stars in Wānaka New Zealand.
I am grateful every day for this place and this space,
for the sacred soul enriching time I gift myself before dawn.
We can all find a way to carve out some time to create, to fill ourselves up doing what we love. It’s so important. It’s the foundation for everything else in our life. We just have to look at where we’re spending our time. Something else may have to go - like scrolling.
It takes dedication and discipline to create this space.
The rewards are Life Living Love, Love Living Life, Living Love Life.

I’m so grateful for you being here. Thank you. 💚

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” John Muir

Photo: Harry and Eva in Paradise New Zealand. Yes Paradise is on earth. It’s only 1.5 hours away from here. In fact, Paradise is here everywhere now. If we just pause and look around. If we start taking care instead of crushing everything on our way to reach some other idea of Paradise in this or an after life.

This post is in honour of some local trees ( not the ones in the photo which still remain, for now… ). However my thought vibrations, and my roots extend out to all trees, including the ones above.

I’ve been lucky enough to walk or run past Penrith Bay most days for the past 21 years.

I love that beach, the view of Black Peak and surrounding mountains, and I loved the trees that extended out from the Nor West end of the little bay.

On summer days, when the kids were little toddling things, we’d head down to the magical mossy outcrop at the far end of the bay. We’d bring picnic rugs, buckets and spades, the inflatable dolphin, honey sandwiches, and apples. The kids would always run off immediately, called To/By the Trees. They played hide and seek in the forest. They came out shining and sharing their fascinating discoveries.

In autumn we would all play in the golden leaves that fell from those beautiful giants. The leaves were free to be themselves: a magical mess away from the cacophony and torture of the leaf blower machine.

Over the last couple of years I have watched those Trees die, sick and slow, after they were poisoned.
Poisoned by another living being for their own self serving purposes.
The Trees were inconvenient you see. They were in the way of someone’s view.
The council recently chainsawed down and removed them for safety purposes.

I felt the Trees’ deaths intimately and intensely. Every day I run past their stumps my heart breaks again. For those trees, for all living things on this earth which so often seem to be held with such little value. You don’t have to be a “tree hugger” to appreciate a tree. Although I highly recommend a tree hug a day keeps the doctor away. Don't be shy. Just embrace it!

Trees give us a sacred space of shade, beauty and play. Things make sense in the trees. We feel safe in the trees. We breathe in deep gulps of fresh life giving green air in the trees.

"Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life."

- Hermann Hesse

We are very very privileged to be sitting at the feet of mountains and trees here in Wānaka. And right now as I write this, it's another stunning morning with a nearly full moon shining on my left cheek and stars glittering the sky. So so precious.

I have felt called, since the Trees' final cut recently, to create a little gathering to celebrate their life.

When: Soon. Date to be confirmed. I’ll let you know so you can pop it in your diaries. 😊

Where: In the vicinity of the Penrith Bay tree stumps.

What:
Moments of silence and meditation.
Acknowledgement, sending some love.
Sing a song, recite a poem, play your guitar.

I will be there rain snow or shine.

I will be wearing a yellow hat.

And if you can’t make it, because you live in California or Manchester, perhaps you could just send out some loving vibes. Vibes for more awareness and care. Vibes for regrowth.

Thanks for reading and for caring about our trees.

Jo xx

"We are members of one great body, planted by nature."

Seneca

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