28 MAY—Among my earliest and most enduring memories are those of trees. What I remember are the ways in which they defined and enclosed space such that I felt I was in a living, breathing sanctuary (although I didn’t know that word yet) made of light and shadow, the movement of wind, and the sound of birds—all of which resonated with my young child’s mind and body in a way that going to church on Sundays did not.
Beautiful story, Cara. It reminds me of my childhood memories growing up in New Jersey (in a big city) and how I would create stories about living in the woods, amongst the trees, birds, deer, and the other wildlife plus the vegetation, and pretend I was one of the characters in my favorite author at the time, James Fenimore Cooper, reading the children's version (from the public library) of the Leather Stocking Tales.
The sounds of Nature have a melody all their own, and in the silence, they come alive for those who want to hear and have a personal communion with. A tranquil and satisfying experience, at least for nature lovers and admirer the "music of the spheres."
So much wilderness is gone now, with man-made structures of all sorts and roads and interstate highways for the ever expanding human population. Years ago, my wife and I would look out the window and every month or so see one or two coyotes walking behind our place in search of food. About three years ago, the city started cutting many of the trees and bushes which was a natural wall blocking the vision from the street and a sanctuary for birds and other critters to nest and sleep. Since then, I've seen two coyotes in the past two years, as they cut so many acres of trees and bushes for new expensive homes and apartment complexes. it has to be an ordeal for the wildlife to find safe "sleeping quarters" and all. Maybe the world is over-populated. For the sake of the planet and posterity, there must be large sections of land , all over the world, left untouched, in my opinion. It's not rocket science.
Remarkable. I have the same thing for trees – there's a reason I live in a forest. I remember my very earliest memories in Manchester Conn. My father was in Korea in the war and my mother and I stayed in Manchester where all the rest of my family was and behind my grandparent's garden apartment the ground rose sharply about 3 feet and then became flat. Off to the left was a communal clothes line but directly behind the apartment and off to the right down the line of apartments were nicely spaced, immense oak trees. These behemoths were all at least three foot in diameter. I would go up there and sit behind a tree facing away from the line of apartments and I would be invisible. It was grassy and you could be silent and just listen to the birds and the chitter of the squirrels and the sigh of the wind in the trees. The sad thing is that 50 years later in 2000 I brought my wife and youngest daughter to Manchester after I had been gone for some 30 years and I took them to the places I used to habituate. The communal clothes line and all the trees were gone. It broke my heart.
Speaking about trees an being in Nature, here are several interesting articles on "forest bathing," a term I never heard of until July, 2022. Many more articles about it on the web.
Beautiful story, Cara. It reminds me of my childhood memories growing up in New Jersey (in a big city) and how I would create stories about living in the woods, amongst the trees, birds, deer, and the other wildlife plus the vegetation, and pretend I was one of the characters in my favorite author at the time, James Fenimore Cooper, reading the children's version (from the public library) of the Leather Stocking Tales.
The sounds of Nature have a melody all their own, and in the silence, they come alive for those who want to hear and have a personal communion with. A tranquil and satisfying experience, at least for nature lovers and admirer the "music of the spheres."
So much wilderness is gone now, with man-made structures of all sorts and roads and interstate highways for the ever expanding human population. Years ago, my wife and I would look out the window and every month or so see one or two coyotes walking behind our place in search of food. About three years ago, the city started cutting many of the trees and bushes which was a natural wall blocking the vision from the street and a sanctuary for birds and other critters to nest and sleep. Since then, I've seen two coyotes in the past two years, as they cut so many acres of trees and bushes for new expensive homes and apartment complexes. it has to be an ordeal for the wildlife to find safe "sleeping quarters" and all. Maybe the world is over-populated. For the sake of the planet and posterity, there must be large sections of land , all over the world, left untouched, in my opinion. It's not rocket science.
Peace & Harmony,
Frank
Remarkable. I have the same thing for trees – there's a reason I live in a forest. I remember my very earliest memories in Manchester Conn. My father was in Korea in the war and my mother and I stayed in Manchester where all the rest of my family was and behind my grandparent's garden apartment the ground rose sharply about 3 feet and then became flat. Off to the left was a communal clothes line but directly behind the apartment and off to the right down the line of apartments were nicely spaced, immense oak trees. These behemoths were all at least three foot in diameter. I would go up there and sit behind a tree facing away from the line of apartments and I would be invisible. It was grassy and you could be silent and just listen to the birds and the chitter of the squirrels and the sigh of the wind in the trees. The sad thing is that 50 years later in 2000 I brought my wife and youngest daughter to Manchester after I had been gone for some 30 years and I took them to the places I used to habituate. The communal clothes line and all the trees were gone. It broke my heart.
This is a beautiful if sad memory. Thank you, Jeff!
I have memories of climbing huge maple trees and sitting on their branches reading poetry. My love of trees is immense.
Speaking about trees an being in Nature, here are several interesting articles on "forest bathing," a term I never heard of until July, 2022. Many more articles about it on the web.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/forest-bathing
https://wwwnational geographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health
https://www.livescience.com>forest bathing
https://bulletin.keynote.edc>article>forest-bathing-and-the-meaning-of-trees