Happiness by Talking to a Tree

By: Maggie Marshall | Posted in: Connection with Plants, Connection with Self | Tuesday, Oct 27, 2015 - 8:36pm

Have you ever thought you might gain some happiness by talking to a tree?  That you could gain wisdom or lighten your mood?

Well, my body really craved a walk the other day.  After aching hours on the computer, it really needed some motion.

My body led me to a beautiful local falls in the small town I recently moved to.  I often get led there, even though the view is the same.

But it really isn’t the same, is it?  I may meet an animal or a person. The lighting may be different. How is the sun shining on the water today? Is there a spray off the falls?   I always notice something different.

And I go into some kind of zone.

I was standing looking at the falls and saw a birch tree in front of me hanging off the edge of the gorge. I decided to tune in and asked it how it liked living there. Now I find that birch trees are a little light-hearted, but the answer was “I like the view.” I had to laugh.  Is it that simple? “I like the view.  That is why I live here.”

So I decided to complicate things in my human fashion.  I said it
was dangerous to hang off the edge like that.

It replied that it had been here for many years, enjoying the view. Nobody bothers it or cuts it down. It likely won’t burn, as there is so much moisture here.  The scene always changes with the day and the seasons. It has company with the other trees on the edge. It has community.

I said, “But you are on the edge of a cliff.” It replied again that it has been there a long time. “When it is time I may fall off the edge, but it has been a good life – a long and beautiful one. It will be a natural death. Besides it’s kind of fun hanging over the edge.  I see a lot more than if I was further back, behind the fence.”

Well, what more is there to be said. And what is the result of this conversation?

Well I exchanged experience with a tree.  I felt more light-hearted, happier. I felt like I made a new friend. I increased my observation skills – I saw all the other trees hanging off edges, even in the middle of the falls.  I wonder what they have to say?  I became more creative and inspired.

I took a break from the computer. I entered a different world. I helped my body limber up with the walk, breathed in the fresh air and the ions off the waterfall.  I helped my mind and my emotions. I felt more at peace.

Do you ever do this?  Take a break in nature and have a conversation?  What benefits do you get from this?

Let me know if you feel like having a conversation with me. Till then, have fun in your imagination.