"Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, the preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life."
~ Hermann Hesse
As a friend and I chatted while strolling down a street in the Queen Anne neighborhood, we chanced upon this incredible tree. I have no idea what type of tree it is, but it stood full and strong with its character visible on its trunk. It was old enough that my arms could not go around it. It was beyond gnarled. I stood facing it, awestruck.
Hesse is absolutely right: trees are sanctuaries, consecrated places. Something about their very presence reminds us of the holy. Even though my friend and I had been chatting a moment previously, seeing the power of that tree stopped us in our tracks. We could feel the conversation, the flow of truth, between ourselves and the tree. We listened to Creator speaking through creation, through the presence of the trees.
Earlier in the day, as I drove to Seattle, I marveled at the greenery on display along the highway. I found myself repeating prayers of gratitude ~ to Spirit, to Mother Earth, to the trees themselves. Thankful for their beauty, the miraculous oxygen they exhale, for the shade they provide as I passed. So much more than I could ever imagine. I remain grateful to this very moment.
How do you feel about trees? What creates a sanctuary to/for you? What are you grateful for?
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