Learning From Trees

“There is a lot to learn from trees: their graceful free spirit when they fluidly sway in the breeze, their munificence when they open-heartedly give us shade and sustenance, their dauntlessness in the wildest and most tumultuous of storms, their endurance during a scathing drought and, in particular, their forbearance when we go about destroying them without a second thought.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVIII

Copyrights © 2016 The Little Mermaid. All Rights Reserved

Author: The Little Mermaid

My soul is an enthralling mystery, delicately concocted with some chaos and a little glee.

172 thoughts on “Learning From Trees”

  3. I wholeheartedly agree.

    A couple of my favourite poetic lines from one of my favourite poems are these lines from Joyce Kilmer’s poem Trees:

    I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree…

    Poems are made by fools like me,
    But only God can make a tree.

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  4. Some people don’t like posts with negative elements, but I found this one to be accurate and honest. I recently saw a video of a standup comic, La Roche by name, who said pessimists live shorter lives — but their perception is more accurate. It’s kind of a tossup whether it’s better to be a long-lived optimist or the other alternative. Personally, I value honesty. Thank you.

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    1. I’m not sure if this quote has a pessimistic connotation or not but it sure does point out how, in trees, are hidden all the jewels of wisdom. In the last phrase, I have highlighted the insensibilty and the short-sightedness of human beings when they cut down trees for immediate urbanisation. If this is not a veracity, albeit a cruel one, I don’t know what it is. Pessimism? As you’ve called it? Choose what word soever you please, the truth is that we are doing great harm upon trees.

      I appreciate your interaction. I hope you come back again. Have a nice weekend!

      Love and hugs X

      Reply

      1. I merely meant by “pessimism” that you tell the unattractive truth about people and don’t sugarcoat it. I love trees, too. The exchange of gases, breathing with trees, is part of the natural scheme. They give us O2, and in return we give them CO2 in a symbiosis we can really feel when we enter a wood or arboretum. I dunno how much is left of the Amazon Rain Forest, but they were saying that without it, we’d be unable to breathe.

        If you get a chance, please check out my site: https://beautyistruth562113401.wordpress.com/ I started it with a view to having anyone and everyone drop a poem about the nature of reality. So far, only I have contributed. Thank you.

        Reply

  6. Trees are fascinating creatures, I recently heard they communicared with each other and can protect each other from diseases or storms and other dangers, thanks to their roots.

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    2. You are right! Trees do support one another. In ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’, Peter Wohlleben describes how a mother tree suckles her children, she feeds the young tree just enough sugars produced by its own photosynthesis to prevent it from dying. Trees in a forest of the same species are connected by the roots, which grow together like a network. Their root tips have highly sensitive brain-like structures that can distinguish whether the root that it encounters in the soil is its own root, the root of another species, or the roots of its own species. If it encounters its own kind, there is a flow from healthy trees to sick trees so that they will have an equal measure of food and energy available. It’s unbelievable, almost magical, as Favoursweet said.

      Thank you for the comment. I’m certain it has enlightened others in the community as well.

      Love and hugs X

      Reply

  7. “munificence”
    Great word. Hadn’t thought of the generosity of trees but those with abundant shade are, do, well, do so with munificence!
    Thanks!

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    1. Hi there, I’ve never read the book but it is on my TBR list. I’ve heard that it is a tender story about the unconditional love a tree has for a boy. It should be quite touching.

      Thanks for stopping by. Have a good day!

      Hugs and kisses X

      Reply

    1. We all know how good being in nature can make us feel, right? The soothing sounds of the forest, the woodsy scent of the trees, the playful sunlight flickering through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. They palliate our stress and help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature among trees can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us.

      In Japan, they practise forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest”, and yoku means “bath”. So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku functions like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world.

      Just like you, I make it a must to go for a regular walk in nature. I have learnt that wilderness is a friend, a healer and a muse that asks for nothing and gives everything in return. 

      Thank you for sharing your experience with trees, Patti.

      Hugs and love X

      Reply

    1. Tree hugging affects our well-being in wondrous ways-especially if we embrace it imagining it blotting out all our worries while at the same time we absorb all the strength and stability that the tree embodies.

      Thank you for stopping by, Janet.

      Love and hugs X

      Reply

  15. Yep, I’ve learned much from trees, having spent many hours raking their leaves and trimming their branches. A pet tree is not much different from any other pet. They require care, attention, and some discipline.

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    1. Too right, mate!

      Growing a plant requires a certain level of optimism, patience, hard work, discipline and nurturing. However, the joy of watching the seeds you have sowed sprout into tiny plants to gradually transform into fully-grown ones is imponderable.

      Have a nice week! X

      Reply

    1. Hi there,

      That’s a very difficult question because firstly, I absolutely enjoy listening to music and secondly, my music taste is wide and varied. The type of music I listen largely depends on my current mood, so I can’t pick up only a handful of them. I’m sorry.

      But what about you? Do you have a preference? 🙂

      Reply

  19. We have a lot of very old trees on our property, and I love to wander around beneath them and stare up into their branches, like the picture you chose here. I find it very comforting:-)

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    1. This is one of the best things in life. Whiling away an afternoon, lying in the shade of a tree, looking up through the branches, feeling the sun hot on your face through the leaves and maybe even falling asleep for a while. 🙂

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  21. I agree. There’s a biblical verse in which a tree is described, standing, growing its roots deeply in the ground on the banks of a stream. A reflection of being constantly fed by wisdom and truth, like a tree standing by the waters. Great trees teach us so much. Hugs to you from Texas, USA.

    Reply

      1. I wrote this some time ago, you might enjoy it. When I look at the leaves of the trees and compare them to the skin of my hands I often wonder if there is some kind of connection. Trees are teachers of the highest order.

        Reply

    1. Very true! There is no bigger inspiration than Mother Nature herself.

      Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most prolific and renowned architects of the 20th century, a radical designer and intellectual advised his students thus:

      “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

      Thank you for your comment. Have a good day! X

      Reply

  38. I so agree with your beautifully written post. Trees are our most giving asset. I even think the trees agree.
    2000 YEARS A TREE
    © Barbara Grace Lake 2018
    I rose from sediment and mold
    Two thousand years ago and more
    I fought with elements, made war
    Against all forces, known-unknown
    Those animals whose step would crush,
    A bolt of lightning’s blasting fire
    Colossal creatures near my grove,
    Perhaps unseen, oh let them pass
    They’re huge, so big and I’m so small
    A giant foot directly up
    It’s coming down. It’s crushing me
    Into the earth. I’m smothering
    All living things are running wild
    The lightning, thunder deafening
    I smell the scorch of burning trees
    Not me, not yet, please let me grow
    A bolt of hell fire strikes the ground
    My branches burn. It hurts, it hurts
    The river’s rising to my feet
    I send out roots to hold the mud
    But can they grasp? One just let go
    And now another one. Dig deep
    Entrench, hold mud, hold earth, hold tight
    If not our life will wash away
    Two thousand years and more I’ve lived
    To grow immense. three hundred feet
    My shady paths give life to ferns
    Green carpet grows abundantly
    When looking up men cannot doubt
    They’ve sensed a godlike majesty
    My girth provides for many home
    Ten men it took to measure me
    For cutting saws? They shred the air
    I hear the screams of sister trees
    Now at my feet, the saw’s first bite
    Two thousand years of life erased.

    Reply

  42. Trees and forests provide such a soothing canopy of rejuvenation when walking and strolling throughout a forest. Simply sitting under a tree on a hot summer’s afternoon and listening as the leaves rustle in the breeze can fix many problems. Or at least provide the fertile ground to start the healing process.

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  44. Stood beneath a 200 year old Redwood not long ago. The smaller ones, babies, are still 300. Drove abouot an hour and stood where an ancient mountain exploded, leveling and petrifying 2500 year old trees. Three and half million years ago. The wisdom of trees indeed. And the stories they could tell…and the shelter they have provided from many a storm.

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    1. Hi dear, I hope everything’s alright at your end. I’m also very much in love with trees. I spent part of my childhood helping my father grow vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants in our garden. While being a great bonding activity for us mostly on Sunday afternoons, it taught me some significant life skills such as patience and responsibility.

      Have a nice day, sweetheart.

      Love and hugs X

      Reply

      1. I have a tummy bug this week but enjoying the cooler weather in the swamp! In Scotland, my uncle used to plant every type of vegetable and fruit in our family garden. I loved stealing the berries and rhubarb. My Nana did wonderful things with the produce from boiling fresh beets to making marrow and ginger jam. Love and hugs back to you, dear. K x

        Reply

        1. Aw! I hope your’re feeling much better today. There is no doubt that growing one’s own fruits and vegetables brings an immense sense of satisfaction and bliss. We feel more connected to nature and become more aware of what we are eating, or the efforts that go into the process. With over 1/3 of all food produced globally going to waste, it even makes us think twice before throwing away food. I hope more and more people start their fruit or vegetable garden. This will create a happier, healthier home-and at large, a happier world for our children.

          Have a great week, honey! XO

          Reply

    1. Thank you! But those exceptionally stunning pictures of the marvels of nature on your blog tells me that our natural environment is your best friend, isn’t it? Visiting your site this Monday has certainly been one of the best things that I did so far. 🙂

      Reply

  51. Beautiful sentiment and just love that picture, little Mermaid ❤ We love trees too. I climbed them a lot, when I was younger, but Granny is afraid of heights, so she just embraces them 🙂

    Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend 🙂 ❤

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  52. Beautiful words and concepts, Little Mermaid. I discovered you somewhere in the wide web. Now I am following you. I like when profound concepts and rhythm intertwine.

    All the best
    From Roman West
    Giovanni

    Reply
  55. Pingback: Learning From Trees – Matthews' Blog

  67. I think that I shall never see
    A poem lovely as a tree.
    A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
    Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
    A tree that looks at God all day,
    And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
    A tree that may in Summer wear
    A nest of robins in her hair;
    Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
    Who intimately lives with rain.
    Poems are made by fools like me,
    But only God can make a tree
    Joyce Kilmer 1913

    Reply
  78. Pingback: Learning From Trees — The Little Mermaid | Issababy Creates

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