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Trees Fall, Trees Grow - by Stacey Williams, Garden Intern 2016

10/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Trees fall, trees grow: Can humans do the same?
On one side of the fence trees are a disturbance. A nuisance. They waste space and have little use. On one side of the fence trees are treated wastefully. Branded useless.
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​On the other side of the fence trees are honoured. Sacred keepers of life. Of air. Holding the breaths we breathe. Holding us. 

From one side of the fence trees are witnessed in their last moments. They are strong. They are tall. Their hands can reach one hundred times higher than our own. Their feet sink and stretch balancing themselves far beyond our stubby twinkled toes. 
​​
From one side of the fence trees are witnessed in their last moments. They are strong. They are tall. Their hands can reach one hundred times higher than our own. Their feet sink and stretch balancing themselves far beyond our stubby twinkled toes. 
​By our hands
Trees fall
at our feet
 
Humans, in our gifted consciousness have we outgrown the trees? The teachings they offer? The gifts they give?
 
Trees offer such powerful examples of life cycles. Re cycles.
 
They breathe the same air as us yet when they exhale they give back more than they received.
 
When trees die they fall where they lived and give back everything they once took.
 
What do you do with your breath?
 
When you die are you going to have given back more than you received? 

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It's nearly four months since I arrived at Songaia's gate.
I have learnt how to live in community through a perfectly imperfect village. We live in generosity and ignorance, forgiveness and resentment, love and anger, judgement and acceptance. Perfect.
Since my arrival this community has been pushed to fight for what is important to them. The forested north border of the property here in Bothell was bought and set to become housing. So much energy, passion and time went into fighting for this land to remain untouched.
It was an honour to witness people speaking for the land. To share an understanding with others that this land is worth more than money.  
There was a hearing where people from all over came to speak about what Songaia meant to them. I am constantly reminded of how my childhood years were held by vast open lands and creeks. I was saddened by the memory that those spaces no longer exist. Houses and roads have prevailed back home too.

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Last week I was at a music festival, Imagine. It's based on a mission of our imagined future. Our dream. It was a beautiful space to connect with people who were eager to share their passions and ideas for the future. The vibes at this place were out of this world. People weren't afraid to be generous and caring for another. It felt like I arrived at a futuristic Woodstock and we were celebrating how awesome humans had become.

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I returned yesterday to my songaian family to the sound of chain saws.
Trees that have stood next to Songaia for the last hundred years were being cut down. Old pines that line the edge of the property were chainsawed in front of our very eyes.

​We sat and witnessed as tree after tree swayed it's last breath and then crashed to the land in an earth quaking, bone chilling crack.
We cried, we mourned, we cared.
 
Today I learnt one of my favourite lessons of community so far, how to care fearlessly. To give and not know what the return will be.
And for the outcome not to matter. To not be so wound up with pressures of money and time that we forget what is worth living for.
 
What are you living for?


2 Comments
Nancy Lanphear link
10/1/2016 11:13:20 am

I love this blog entry. I sent a copy to John Boully in Adelaide.

Nancy

Reply
Brian
10/1/2016 10:33:46 pm

Stace - thank you for witnessing this work of the community. The sharing from your heart and willingness to step into grieving is inspiring.

Reply



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