Originally, I wanted to plant a tree today, but lack of space in which to do so prevented me. Knowing I had these limited means, I added hug a tree, just in case. I read somewhere that the greeks believed that the spirits of gods lived in trees so that they could watch the lives of human undisturbed. I don't know about that, but I do know I like trees. I wouldn't mind coming back in another life as a tree. A weeping willow, if I had my choice.
So today, my classmates and I drove to Mesilla to attend the Border Book Festival. The theme of the festival was "Vasundhara-Madre Tierra, Mother Earth". The tree planting ceremony was intended to pay homage to Mother Earth. When we were planning the trip, we had been assigned a writing assignment on a literacy activity that we were to choose and attend. While normally, you wouldn't think of a tree planting ceremony to be considered literacy, but we were pleasantly surprised. There was a poetry reading, music, and an interactive part that allowed us to draw and write about our favorite tree.
The ceremony was especially awesome. There was a group of 10 kids that gathered around the tree and called to the various elements of the earth (wind, fire, water) to ask permission to plant the tree and ask the earth to accept it and bless its entrance in to the dirt.
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This is my favorite tree, a pecan tree in our backyard. I hope that out of the many genetic gifts my family has bestowed upon me, I'll also inherit a green thumb. Planting trees, growing things, working with my hands is something I look forward to doing in the future.
The view of my tree, looking up.
Hug a tree. Sounds silly, feels good.
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