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Dalton
Roberts |
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In “Love is the food of the universe,” a meditation guide by Rev. Rainbow Johnson (rainbow@revrainbow.org), she tells about an apple tree that the property owners had for ten years but didn’t want. The tree never bore fruit while they owned it. Later the property was sold and the new owners loved the tree. They named it “Annie.” It began to bear fruit and she says, “Annie gave birth to ten years worth of apples!” Her story got me to thinking about trees I have loved. At one of my homes there was an apple tree that had been badly wounded in its early life. Someone had apparently run over it with a car or laid some large, heavy object on it because it grew sideways and then curled up a hill with its limbs extending out in front of my bird-watching window. The first thing I do when I buy a place is knock a 4x4 hole in the wall and install a double thermal insulated window for my bird watching. One of the things I really loved about this home was hanging my feeders on the apple tree and seeing it bloom. I named it Sweet Crabby because the apples were real tart. A friend had recipes calling for crab apples and she would come and gather the apples and make her jams and jellies. One day she brought me some and I sat in front of my big window enjoying the incredible taste of Sweet Crabby. I never referred to her apples as “sour” anymore. In the front yard of my childhood home place was one of the biggest oak trees I have ever seen. We called him “Oakie” and he seemed like a member of the family. My mother protected Oakie with total dedication. When the electrical provider came to trim trees to protect its lines, mother stood there giving them directions. She would not allow Oakie to be damaged or his beauty to be marred. In the backyard grew a tree with a crooked limb extending out across a waterway that ran through our property. My sister and I loved to sit on that limb and watch the water flow by. It faced into some deep woods where all kinds of wildlife romped and we felt a deep spiritual kinship with that tree. I am an unabashed tree hugger. Those who make fun of tree huggers must have dehydrated souls. They need to go back to their Maker for soul repairs. In a recent “gustnado,” I lost a 6-year old maple. It was a feeling similar to losing a loved one. Why? Because it was a loved one. One reason I love trees is they helped my mother breathe when she got emphysema. She’d walk down in the orchard and stand and breathe the oxygen the trees were making.
Every tree on my property is loved. One of my favorite meditations is to sit quietly and breathe slowly and deeply and feel a deep appreciation for every tree in the world. Tell me about you favorite tree. www.daltonroberts.com
is a good place to roam around. Visit soon.
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