“Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy.” ― Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree
Mother Nature speaks to us in whispers. Do we pay attention? Unconditional love is what She offers only requiring karmic consideration and respect. Why do we continue to destroy and take more than we need? How did we get here?
I have had a lot of time these last few weeks to ponder the questions above. Writing in my journal to maintain a record of my thoughts before I slept, I could not help but to ask why this pandemic of COVID-19 visits us and what is it asking of us. Waking the next morning, I heard the words come to me, “Be Like the Giving Tree.” First thought that comes to mind, I needed to look into this further and find one of my childhood books called The Giving Tree and take a look at its message again.
The Giving Tree
For those who have not read it, The Giving Tree is a book written by Shel Silverstein who tells the story of a boy and an apple tree. The tree is very “giving” and the boy evolves into a “taking” teenager, man, then elderly man. In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches, and eats her apples. However, as the boy grows older, he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit her only when he wants material items. In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him parts of herself, which he can transform into material items. With every stage of giving, “the Tree was happy”.
In the final pages, when only a stump remains for the tree, the boy does return as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once more. She tells him she is sad because she cannot provide him shade, apples, or any materials like in the past. He ignores this and states that all he wants is “a quiet place to sit and rest,” which the tree, who is weak being just a stump, could provide. With this final stage of giving, “the Tree was happy”.
The Universe Wants Balance
I have always believed that the universe wants balance. Scientists have said that the universe is balance by the matter, energy, and dark energy matter. Each playing a role- matter makes up the whole universe that we see, energy allows matter to have life. Thus, energy balances the universe. And I have thought that perhaps dark energy throws it all off-kilter until the light returns. True balance is a give and take proposition.
According to the ancient philosopher Aristotle “nature abhors a vacuum.” And, when there is a vacuum of information, a myth as told by the one in power creeps in to fill the void taking backed by lies, arrogance and greed, Mother Nature will step in to balance things out again. And perhaps this is the message that I was meant to receive. Seeing clearly the chaos, fear, separation, corruption and control that arises during this challenging time, if we become more like the giving tree, we can let go and enter a new paradigm of peace, prosperity, freedom and love for all. When we love and respect this Earth and treat it as we would ourselves, we can change our experience on this beautiful blue third planet from the sun whose atmosphere provides free oxygen, oceans of water on its surface and teeming with life.
Be Like the Giving Tree
For once there was a tree, Mother Nature, and she loved all creatures big and small. But, there comes a time when her whispers turned to screams. Then, and only then, does the boy, humanity, hear her. And if the boy, humanity, wants to survive, he needs to grow up into a responsible and accountable human being. He must start to plant new seeds, water and nurture them daily so that duality and separateness falls away.
Then from a state of consciousness, the void is filled with examples of the collaborative good, our first-responders, caregivers, and delivery workers. Greed for one vs. the many, is not a sustainable paradigm. A small, invisible virus has taken center stage and taught us that. With this wake up call, stopped in our tracks, self-isolating and forced to pause, the heroes who are most like the giving tree step in with their healing light. Then, if we follow suit as a whole, the light will surely overwhelm the dark energy once again. And, we all can be happy and coexist together.
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Be Like the Giving Tree! was originally published on Meg Nocero
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