The Life of Stars and Trees
Time is relative. We may say that something feels like it takes "forever" but of course we don't really mean it. When a person lives to be one hundred years old that is quite an accomplishment. Yet from a geologist's point of view, that is the blink of an eye. While the oldest tree is thousands of years old, the oldest star is in the billions. Again, time is such a relative thing!
Beth Moon illustrates this pairing perfectly in her photographic series, "Ancient Trees".
And when we think of it this way it really puts our lives into perspective now doesn't it?
Trees are the lungs and stars are the light. The air we breathe and the world we see depends upon them. To stand next to a tree under the light of the stars, the connection we have to both should be palpable. Yet only when we live our life with our eyes open do we see this blinding bond that we clearly have with the world around us. And only when we live our lives with intent do we stop to recognize and respond to the knowledge that we are one with the world in this way.
Without getting into the scientific explanation here, we are all indeed one with the world in a very real sense, for we are all made of the stars. Star dust that is. How amazing is that? Poetic too, I might add. To read lines from that poem day after day will allow us to harness the beautiful energy of the trees and the stars. And with that anything is possible.
My photo of the Super Moon...
I took my kids out earlier this week to see the Super Moon. To witness the anticipation and the awe that they were filled with reminded me why I follow through with trying to wrangle these two little balls of energy that I have. It's easy with kids sometimes to throw in the towel and take the path of least resistance. It's tough getting them out the door some days, even if it's just to view the moon in the front yard! But it always ends up being more than worth it once we do.
The night of the Super Moon I invited my niece over too (for a party of two three year olds and a one-year-old) and set up a telescope and a table for moon drawings out in the front yard. I had been sharing pictures and moon facts with my son the nights leading up to this as well. Once the evening began and the moon made its appearance, the kids rushed outside to greet it. They ran to the telescope and the table and then.... they split up! One wanted to play in the sandbox on the porch, one wanted to walk down the street, and one wanted to lay in the grass to star gaze. All loved the experience but none were going to follow any "plans" I might have had!
Plans, especially at their ages, don't work. Yet I always keep a loose one in my back pocket as a guide anyways. It's the teacher in me I guess. Yet, I constantly strive to let go and understand that children are inherently spiritual creatures and will absorb all the magic, beauty, and lessons, that the earth has to offer in their own unique way. They don't need to be guided as much as we think they do. As parents we need to be taught to let go of any preconceptions and just be. Our contentment sets the stage for theirs.
I like to try and remember (not always the easiest thing to do at times!) to find happiness, peace, and truth in my own self rather than forcing it into being in others. If we do this our children will soak up our positive energy and our example will become their model for being. Even though the stars and the trees don't tell us their story in a direct way, there magnificent presence and history is filled with energy, breathe, and countless stories, in turn acting as our invisible guide. Now if we could only quiet our minds long enough to feel the presence of this gentle guidance. Our children can. So perhaps look to them as well. It all comes around, it we put all of our great plans on hold long enough to let it!
