One day I looked out my window to see a woman with her arms around the old maple tree in front of my house. When I stepped out my door, she explained she has just had breast cancer surgery and, “It feels like healing here.”
Research has shown that those who look out on a tree from their hospital window heal faster than those with no such view. Perhaps this woman sensed that if looking at a tree is healing, touching it might be more healing still. Each day for several days she came to hug this tree while her husband stood by.
A few days after she ceased coming, there was another woman with her arms around this tree. “I just had shoulder surgery”, she told me, “And this tree is just the right height to stretch my arm”. She also came with a male partner who stood by. Then they, like the other couple, turned and walked back to wherever they had come from.
I wouldn’t have picked these couples out of an ordinary crowd at say, a movie theater. I certainly wouldn’t have looked at the women and declared, “These are the women who will stop on a city sidewalk to hug a tree”. In their similarity with any of us, their actions sign a recognition that lies in each of us as well — no matter how deeply it may be buried in the trappings of modern life. That is a recognition that we belong to the natural web of life—and some generously rooted thing in that web might have the power to heal our wounds.
As a street tree, the roots of this particular tree are confined by a cement sidewalk on one side and the street on the other. In such a position in the world, it does more than thrive– it flourishes. So do its green companions. In its leaf mold, naturalized flowers bloom in a riot of color every spring and I watch strollers stop to enjoy them. Later in the year, children from a nearby day care linger in the shade under this tree on their walk to a local park. Passing workers park under the tree to enjoy their lunch.
Under the canopy of this tree, walkers sometimes stop to ask me about what grows in my yard. It is thus children learn to pluck the grape kiwis that hang on my front trellis or chew fennel seeds in the herb garden by the street. When I see a father stop to test the kiwis for ripeness as his son watches, something essential pass between father and son with the tree as a guardian angel in this process.
Providing succor is something trees have done for us for as many generations as we have been human. This tree continues this great tradition among trees as it creates community between neighbors and strangers on my city street. It unites us in a common language, showing us that a shared world is a richer one.
But to understand this language, we must let ourselves be vulnerable to the larger than human world—give in to our impulse to lean on a tree. We must abandon our human separateness—our human smallness for something larger.
Above all, we must drop the notions that set us apart from the natural world—ideas like “survival of the fittest.” The ancient peoples of the Pacific Northwest where I now live saw things differently. “The eyes of the world are looking at you,” Chehalis elder Henry Cultee told me. His elders taught him that it was these multiple eyes of natural life that determine our longevity, as persons and as a people.
What his people anciently knew, modern ecologists are just now learning. In any ecological niche, including the one in a contemporary city, interdependence not only enhances the quality of our lives—it ensures our survival. If we really want to use the word, “survival of the fittest”, we must understand “fittest” in true survival terms—in terms of how we “fit” within natural systems.
Perhaps we might even learn to shelter other humans who share this earth with us as does the tree in front of my house.
You are welcome to link to this post; note, however, it is copyright 2008, Madronna Holden. Feel free to email me if you wish to use it.
Filed under: Ecofeminism, Environmental psychology, Forest and farm, Health, Health and healing, Hope and vision, Our Earth and Ourselves | Tagged: Environmental psychology, tree huggers
Dr. Holden,
This is a beautiful story of how important it is to be close to nature and respect it. It is almost like the tree gave those people you came upon it a new life and a sense of happiness and protection. When I was younger my grandmother, who has since passed away, used to grow orchids. Everytime I saw her with the orchids she would be singing or talking to them. And I asked her why do you talk and sing to your orchids? And she said because it makes them happy and it makes them grow. At the time I didn’t not understand, but now that I am older I now understand why she sang and talked to the orchids. They were like her little children that she loved and respected and wanted to make happy so they would grow beautiful flowers. It is a simple story that I often think about because I love orchids and have a few in my house that I sing and talk to because it makes them happy and it makes them grow. What joy a simple plant can bring!
Thank you,
Lindsay
What a lovely way to honor your grandmother’s memory as well, Lindsay.
I found this article to be an uplifting example of our inherent connection to the natural world and the peace and healing that can be found through this union. This relationship reminds us that we are only one component of a much larger and more complex fabric that is designed to work in tandem to create balance. The Western worldview however, continually sees the natural world as dualistic (class notes, p. 21). This worldview only serves to separate humans from the natural world and facilitates a false sense of control. This “survival of the fittest” ideal, as it is historically known, should not be about domination over the environment. Rather, the “fittest” should be those who can cohabitate and impact the natural world in a positive way. We can benefit in so many ways if and when we begin to reconnect with our “roots” in the natural world.
Thanks for this comment, Kate. I was very touched by these women and I think you are right about the ways in which we are meant to work in tandem with the natural world.
I really appreciate the ways in which you tied your discussion to particular worldviews and values. Indeed, we are not making ourselves as a species very fit for survival at present, in the ways in which we treat our environment. It is time to understand, as you also point out, that what we do to our natural environment, we do to ourselves, since we are not separate, in spite of our dualistic worldview. And for those who are reading this comment and wondering about the worldview contrasts we are discussing, you can find it here on this site in a pdf file:
http://holdenma.wordpress.com/culture-and-environment/
I think there is something about big, old trees in particular that draws the curiousity of people. Maybe we are in awe of the tree’s resiliance, the ability to survive for many years through good and bad weather. It is sturdy, yet flexible enough to bend when it needs to. I think we admire that quality, and strive for that quality in ourselves.
I also think that you are right about people knowing at their core that we are all connected to nature, no matter how deeply that bond has been buried within us. Many of us spend so much of our day surrounded by artificial things-computers, t.v.’s, cars, our homes and offices- that we forget how good it feels to let ourselves experience our bond with nature.
People not only benefit from the healing qualities of communing with nature, but can actually become ill if they are separated from it. Think of all of the cases of seasonal depression that arise from people who leave their home in the early morning darkness to go to work, and return home in the dark of the evening, having spent little or no time outdoors day after day. Nature feeds our bodies and souls.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your comment. If you are right (and I think you are) about the links between illness and separation from nature, there is much we need to do in modern society to get back to wellness in our interconnected world.
I think you absolutely right that nature “feeds” us. Such bountiful nurturance exists for us– all we have to do is receive and honor (and help preserve) the gift.
I have always been especially drawn to trees. When I was a kid my nickname from my dad was “Monkey” because I could always be found climbing trees. I liked the different perspective I had from above the ground, the sound of the wind in the leaves, and the feeling of being inside something, or part of some large living thing. I’ve often thought that if I ever got a tattoo, it would be a tree, with the trunk running up my spine and the branches and leaves spreading across my shoulders. Photography is a hobby of mine (bit of a passion really) and I have many pictures, just of trees. I don’t know if I can attach them here but I’d be happy to share some with anyone who is interested.
I think there is something about trees that resonates with people. Their deep-rooted groundedness, their strength and nobility, their ability to sway and bend with changing winds. Tolkien wrote of trees that walked and talked, guardians of the forest who looked out for growing things and had kinship ties with those who respectfully lived within the boundaries of the forest.
This story is another example of the innate draw we feel to these noble creatures. It seems perfectly natural and right for a breast cancer survivor to embrace the tree. It is what I imagine I would do, if it were me. The tree draws its strength and energy from the earth, from flowing waters, from the sun…..and it gives to us, not only in life-giving oxygen, or shade, or healing medicines, but in our very being. We are related to the trees, I believe. We too are rooted to this earth. We should learn from them, and stand still more and listen and breathe as they do.
Hi Tracy, thank you for a profound and moving statement. I love the statement about the way we are related to trees.
It is obvious that you learned something from the trees you spent time in as a child.
I too believe that big, old trees are a spark to curiosities. There are so many stories that use the old trees as story tellers. They’re around longer than the average human life and I think that gives some people a sense of security. It’s interesting that patients who are able to look out their windows to see trees heal faster than those that can’t. One of my dogs is a therapy dog and they achieve the same results. I think the dogs give the sick or injured a sense of joy and security. It’s absolutely amazing to watch their faces light up when the dog enters the room and to watch them touch the animals and pet them with the expression that nothing can bother them is awesome. Both of these examples show how interconnected we all are with nature. Some people just need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life to realize it.
Indeed, Renee. Thanks for adding your example of the dog (and creating this occasion for healing by keeping and training this dog).
It certainly makes sense to me that if we became human in the natural world, the presence of its life and beauty is healing for us.
I like your idea about interconnection and taking a break to realize it– it is lovely weather here in Oregon today and I hope you are able to take a break to enjoy the same wherever you are.
There is a drive I take sometimes, a road that winds through rolling pastures spotted with old oak trees. It is only about a 20 minute drive, but it regenerates me. Just driving under the shade of hanging canopies, I feel renewed. I understand what the women felt when hugging that tree. It is one of those lessons that nature helps to teach us. The oak teaches us how to be strong, how to bend with time and circumstance, but not break. When life has worn me down, I drive through those wise old oak and I am reminded of how I am just a young sapling. Maybe someday though, somewhere in the mix of the times of hardship and the times of happiness I too will grow into a wise oak.
What an eloquent and touching response, Tami. I can’t think of a lovelier goal for any of us.
It is so true how a tree, even in an urban environment can bring a sense of nature to what otherwise is a manmade environment.
When I was in the hospital (OHSU) for 5 days due to a hand injury it was incredible how lonely it was even though I was constantly surrounded by nurses, family, and other patients. I often found myself walking out of the orthepedics ward, and escaping to a series of winows that overlooked a greenspace. Although I could not touch the grass or lay down in it, and I couldn’t rest at the foot of one of the immense trees, seeing nature made me feel so much better, so much more alive. Every few hours I would get out of my hospital bed, make my way to these windows and let the sunshine hit my face.
So however odd it is to hear someone say that hugging a tree makes them feel better, after being in a hospital environment, I can definitely understand why.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience, Justin. It seems that turning to the natural world for this kind of comfort/healing may be more common than we usually notice– even in modern Western society.
I love this story. I have had to heal several times in my life, but I have yet to hug a tree. I do paint however, and my paintings are almost always of trees. I am drawn to their unique roots and trunks. I portray them in a more surrealist fashion, I make them my own. Art has a healing power like that of nature.
I heard of an experiment once where some elderly people in a rest home were given a plant to watch after while the others didn’t receive one. The people who had plants to take care of lived longer than those who had none. I believe humans and nature are meant to care for each other.
I agree that art heals as nature does, Johni. I can imagine that your art is very powerful.
Check out my response to a comment on the healing power of beauty: http://holdenma.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/gilgamesh-and-other-pioneers-in-paradise/#comments,
I like your last line here especially.
Wow, what a touching story… I’ve never heard of “Research has shown that those who look out on a tree from their hospital window heal faster than those with no such view”. But that statement can encourage patients and non-patients to take a moment and look out what’s around them and what they are missing in their daily lives since people believe in researches and data bases more than just theory now days. Maybe the reason why there are so many sick people whether it’s physically or emotionally is because we don’t give ourselves opportunity to take a moment and enjoy the nature. I believe the number of depression or emotional problems have increased because of busy schedules and hectic lives. But I think that if people believe in their ability to be healed or can do anything, they can achieve whatever they want. Such discouragment and negative thoughts can bring one down. I’ve had my ups and downs and everytime I brought myself back up, I realize I become strong through it and when I find myself enjoy with just what’s around me rather than materistic things, I see myself happier.
This article is powerful and very true. The fact that nature has the power to heal us should not be surprising. We are all connected and the divine flows through each and every living thing including the Tree Beings that are more than open to send forth their healing energy when we are open to receive it. When we choose to fit into the environment around us and see ourselves as one with her it would be evident that the theory of control, domination, and manipulation of our environment for self ish purposes is not only wrong but in essence irrational in terms of sustainability. The women who hugged the trees recognized their connection with nature but more so that when we are sick mother earth desires to heal us if only we would be in relationship with her. What normal mother would not want to heal their children if they are ill. There is healing all around us. Indeed nature is alive and full of love if only we would embrace it. When we formulate relationships with our environment indeed we formulate and solidify relationships with each other. The progressive woundedness of mother earth through Western Ideological dualism is a reflection of disharmony within the people that see it necessary to wound, isolate, and use the earth for personal greed should only expand the necessity of each one of us to do internal cleansing so that our environment can be healed and restored.
HI Jenna, thanks for your comment. I am glad that you are finding your through to taking care of yourself in this way: just think if we could begin to design (and yes, engineer, since that is your chosen profession) it in such a way that we were encouraged to connect with the natural world in this way. In some hospitals and nursing homes (and schools) there are no green views to take advantage of.
Of course, this also takes motivation in our personal lives.
I am encouraged by the new moment to get children out into nature, for instance. (as in No Child Left Inside movement taken up by many readers of the book with this title).
Frances, what a powerful statement! You have eloquently summed up the healing vision of where we need to go–and the worldviews of dualism and domination that have set us in a disastrous wrong-headed direction in the first place.
Thank you for sharing both heart and spirit with us here.
I think it is in our instinct to relate big, old trees to wisdom and knowledge. I grew up with this huge fir tree in my front yard and appreciated its existence. The tree was part of the landscaping of our house as well as part of the land. I couldn’t help but think what the land looked like when this tree fir tree was a sapling. Since it was the Hillsboro/Aloha area, I assume it was all forest and this fir tree as a remnant of that forest. I grew up going on camping trips for family vacations and absolutely loved walking around the dense forests near the Wilson River. I couldn’t help but immerse myself in the diverse ecosystem and feel lucky that I had the opportunity to escape city life to be part of the forest. I could actually feel the sacredness of these trees, shrubs, and ivy. I felt I was part of something bigger and it was so great I couldn’t comprehend it. I felt peaceful and content. The forest filled a void in my heart that I can’t describe. The forest made me whole.
I attended Chapman University in Southern California my first year in college. I remember walking down the sidewalk with friends and passing by a large maple tree on our way to class. I used to hug the tree whenever we passed it because it reminded me of home in the Pacific Northwest. My friends, most from Southern California, would laugh at me when I did this. I would pick up a leaf from the ground and hand it to a friend saying, “This is a piece of my home.” Of course my friend would drop it, not understanding the importance trees were to me. I feel growing up in Portland helped me understand how trees play an intricate part in our lives. I was so used to seeing them and being around them. I was used to seeing hillsides covered in fir, pine, and deciduous trees that it was something I expected to see everywhere. In San Diego, the hillsides are bare and brown. It was so uncomfortable for me to see brown everywhere. I would often talk about the trees and landscaping of the Pacific Northwest to friends but they would look at me like I was crazy and say, “Well yea of course trees are there because it rains close to 300 days a year there.” I’ve noticed people often go to Southern California for the warm weather and beaches. People often go to the Pacific Northwest for the trees and the abundance of greenery.
Currently I am living in Salt Lake City, Utah where we experience all the seasons of the year. We get tons of snow on the ground during the winter months and even hit 100 degree temperatures during the summer. The leaves turn their colors and fall during fall and grow back on the trees in the spring. In Salt Lake, I was able to compromise between Oregon and Southern California: I get the change of seasons of Oregon and the warm weather of Southern California (only downside is that there aren’t beaches). I feel the same connection to the landscapes and the trees as I did while residing in Oregon. I feel close to nature and feel its sacredness as I rock climb in Big Cottonwood Canyon or snowboard in Deer Valley. I frequently camp in Moab and Zion National Park during the spring and summer. The few trees there represent the will and desire to survive. Those trees and plants are able to survive in desert and dry conditions. I learned to appreciate their existence and value their strength and wisdom they possess.
I believe we all feel connected to trees and plants. Flowers brighten our lives and produce sweet smelling aromas. Trees provide us with shade and scenic beauty. We rely on plants for medicinal purposes as well as for cooking and eating. Without trees, we wouldn’t be able to exist. They provide us with so much and we generally take trees’ wisdom and knowledge for granted. We exploit them as natural resources and treat them as obstacles as we continue to spread our homes and construction into the forests. I think our own greed prohibits us from appreciating trees for what they are: our producers, our teachers, and responsible for our survival.
Thank you for sharing this homage to trees in your life, Ashley. I especially like your expression of your intimate connection to trees in making you whole and a leaf’s being a piece of your home.
You have obviously found the green things that make a place for themselves in every ecological niche. And you sum it all up in your last line with what we owe to trees–and what we lose by not recognizing this.
That sure would be weird to walk out of your house to see someone hugging your tree but it is a nice story. I like how the majority of your lectures, essays or reading assignments all seem to come back to the same premise of reciprocity. Essentially living in unison not only with nature but with each other as well. You worded it perfectly that we need to “abandon our human separateness” and “let ourselves be vulnerable to the larger than human world.” What I’m curious is to what extent we are to let ourselves be vulnerable to the larger than human world? I understand the basics would be to respect the environment, give more time/money/whatever we can to those less fortunate but I’m curious if you could expand on that concept. Thanks Dr. Holden!
Thanks for your comment and question, Ben. For me, being vulnerable to the natural world is essential element to the environmental psychology of partnership. In any partnership, communication and mutual intimacy is fostered by the ability to lay ourselves open to our partners: that is, true partners are vulnerable to one other. I used the word “vulnerability” for this in this essay in order to provide the strongest contrast possible to the idea of domination or control as a stance toward the natural world. And in effect, I think this is nothing but the bald truth of the matter: we are in fact vulnerable to the natural world. This is something Chehalis elder Henry Cultee expressed when he spoke of the understanding that the length of human lives on earth is judged by the other natural lives we share with our own: “the eyes of the earth are looking at you” is an eloquent metaphor for the fact that our lives depend on how the rest of nature “sees” us– how we fit in. This is a very differently idea than the usual ways we interpret “survival of the fittest” –and incidentally, more in keeping with Darwin’s original idea (he focused on cooperation within natural systems) than the “social Darwinism” Herbert Spencer fabricated to justify hierarchy in human societies.
And just as an aside, there is an astute discussion of the necessity of effective leaders being vulnerable to those they lead in a business context in Max DePree’s Leadership is an Art.
I only hope we acknowledge our vulnerability to natural systems in time to shape a sustainable lives for ourselves–and for the other life that shares our world with us.
In this article I found not only what seems to be true to ensure survival in nature but what I believe is true to ensure survival in modern societies; the recognition of interdependence. I believe that the phrase used at the beginning of the essay, “the recognition that we belong to the natural web of life” , applies to more than just our connection with the natural world.
Because of the way our minds are conditioned as we grow up we often disregard the importance of the natural world and rather give emphasized importance to a materialized world.
I hate using myself as an example but before taking this course i had forgotten about identifying myself with the natural world. I believe that humans in western cultures are fascinated with plants and animals only because of plant’s ethereal qualities (their beauty), rather than being fascinated with plants because we (humans) respect nature !
I have to admit that I feel a certain tranquility when I walk through a forest or take a stroll through my local botanical gardens. It’s a strange connection that I think all humans feel. We are drawn to the natural, to our roots, so to speak. I have a hard time imagining that there is a person alive who doesn’t feel the peace that comes from looking at a piece of nature–whether it’s a tree displaying all the colors of the season on a sidewalk in a city, or looking out over the unspoiled beauty of nature. For generations, humans have used not only the physical spoils of nature, such as herbs, to heal our ills, but the spirituality of nature has always provided humans a connection between our mortality and our spirits, a connection that is key to the health of our bodies and souls. The stories of the ladies hugging the tree is lovely. I think all of us have felt the urge to give a looming tree a big hug, or lie down in the grass and let the blade caress us at one point or another. It’s the most beautiful thing about human nature. No matter the ills that we inflict on one another, and the ways that we abuse our environment, we all feel that connection to our planet, our home, and it’s time that we all take that feeling out of our subconscious and acknowledge it again.
Lovely ideas, Mehgan. Thanks for sharing them here.
Interesting thoughts about the distinction between a true respect for natural life and seeing it as ethereal (rare? in modern industrialized society), Dan. I hope that we can recover the worldview in which the ethical treatment of the natural world is consciously linked to pragmatism– the knowledge and actions that allow us to survive.
The value of interdependence is key here. Thanks for bringing this up.
In order for our lives to be incorporated with the lives of our surrounding nature, the idea of “survival of the fittest” needs to never be used. If hugging a tree is considered to be weird in our world, then we as humans need to look at our views of the world as a whole. The trees are an essential part of our lives. If there are no trees, the oxygen levels in the atmosphere will drop beyond the possible levels of human existance. To hug a tree is to embrace the keystone to our survival. I have found myself hugging a tree before without prior intentions. After I stepped back and thought about it, I realized that I had embraced the closest thing to a physical God that humans will ever see.
A powerful perspective and experience. Thanks for sharing it!
A powerful perspective and experience. Thanks for sharing it! I really liked the description of hugging a tree as “to embrace the keystone of our survival”. Your last sentence is an eloquent one as well.
This is a very powerful way of thinking. I love the idea that nature heals us and I had no idea about the research showing that people with a tree outside of their window healed faster than those who did not but I can really see how it would. Trees, and other wildlife, give us hope by showing how things can grow and heal themselves from many diseases or injuries. For example, many trees can grow around an injured/diseased area to create a knot in the tree. Others split when there is a trauma to a branch. A favorite view of a tree that I have is when a tree is cut down and another tree begins to grow out of the center of the stump. Trees have an amazing life force around them that gives hope to others. I believe that too often people get caught up in what is proper and therefore they are not willing to do the things that they want to do or that feel natural. However, people that embrace nature (even physically as the women in your story did) seem to have better lives. People seem most happy when they can roll down a grassy hill, play in the sand, climb a tree, etc. If people were willing to treat nature as a friend, like they did as a child, they would have a much better relationship with nature and possibly be much more protective over it than they are now.
This is a fantastic story. It reminds me of stories that my coworker Suzie Conway tells me and how she explains the interconnectedness of all forms of life. Stories that she has told me of the power of healing usually involve animals. Much like the above story they speak of the simple yet strong connection between people, healing, and the surrounding world. I feel that if more people took the time in which to observe their surrounding environment and find what could heal them or what they could in turn heal that the world would be in a much better place at the moment. It is amazing to think of the possible ways of healing that are around us. And not just a healing from disease or surgery but a rejuvination of the spirit everyday. I also like the ending idea of survival of the fittest. Being a biology student I have always been told that survival of the fittest means that the organism with the most offspring will be known as the most successful. However, I like this articles approach much better, that it in fact does not deal with the individual its self but how that particular individual fits into their surrounding environment. I think that this is a much more accurate meaning for the phrase “survival of the fittest”
It was very touching story… and actuary it reminds me one of my best friend.
We’ve been friends since we were in junior high school, and last time I saw her was couple of years ago, when she has just found out that she got pregnant at that time. We went out to one of the park along ocean near Tokyo, and she hugged a large tree standing there letting her belly and her ear appressed to the tree. I asked what’s she doing, and she said “making my child to listen to the heart-beat of the earth, so she will be a healthy, kind, lovely child.”
Also, in my country, when someone who you know (friend, family member, etc.) become sick or had injury, we bring (or send, if the person live very far) flowers and/or small plants as a get-well gift. It is a kind of common practice to do so, and I don’t know people now actually think about the natural healing power when they bring these flower and plants, but I think this custom may have started because our ancestors knew through their experience that plants have natural healing power.
And I also think that people plant trees and flowers in their yard and along side walks even in cities to make the town look beautiful, and the ideas of “trees and flowers in town, along side walks are beautiful” are coming from inconscient desire for natural healing.
Although western world view is now “majority” among modern people in this country, I often think that there are more people who truly understanding “fitttest”(or “fit”) in terms of how we “fit” withing natural systems compare to people in my country (especially people in big cities). Reading this blog entry made me think anew about importance to learn true meaning of “survival of the fittest”, to be sensitive to the language of nature, and to share these ideas with other people (and/or passing it to younger generations).
Hi Ashley, thanks for your thoughtful and caring comment. We need people in biology with your perspectives!
It sounds like your co-worker has some great stories to share!
Hi Miki,
Thanks for sharing the touching personal story of your friend–and the practices of your culture.
I’m glad this idea of “fittest” makes sense to you.
What a comforting thought that your tree providing a healing of sorts to random people drawn to it. I believe in the healing properties of trees and that they also work to heal one another. I have one of the few Dutch elms remaining in our city. Our majestic one in the front yard succumbed to Dutch elm disease 21 years ago. This young one has hidden in the back yard and I believe has been protected by the Siberian elms in our neighbor’s yard. Our community is currently trying to save ash trees from the ash borer by cutting down and removing what seem to be healthy trees. Perhaps it is time to resurrect the rituals of honoring, not just trees, but all forms of life. Perhaps if we shared our healing ability with them, as they do with us, they would find the strength to fight the diseases that assault them without being destroyed by radical human approaches that are currently used.
Hi Kate, thank your for sharing your personal experience here. Bravo for you for having one of the surviving Dutch elms: perhaps it is a resistant strain, like the chestnuts that are resistant to blight that some botanists are working with to re-establish chestnuts in the south.
That makes it a very special tree. One of our problems, of course, is that we are bringing in diseases from global trade to which many trees have no resistance–and which have no natural checks and balances in their current habitat.
I would certainly second your position on a new attitude toward healing. We need not only physical but psychological healing of the broken relationships between ourselves and other humans as well as ourselves and the natural world.
Your story illustrates our need to coexist with nature. I found your comment about fitting in with nature to be simple, yet effective in getting someone to think differently about survival of the fittest. The biggest and smartest don’t necessarily survive; it is those who can adapt to change.
The metaphor of the tree as a healing source is very powerful. Each part of a tree is essential for survival. Not only for our own survival, but plants and animals, and the many other biotic and abiotic things that exist in an ecosystem surrounding a tree.
Your story reminded me of the children’s book The Giving Tree. After giving all the tree had to the boy. The tree was still happy to be able to give the aged boy a seat of the stump. The trees know the common language we have pushed aside. We must relearn it to endure the natural world’s existence.
What a wonderful story! I think that Wangari Maathai would just love that story. Trees strenghthened the women around her as well as the community around her, and so did your tree. So often, people in cities forget about nature, but it sounds like you had some really wonderful people in your neighborhood who were open to the natural experience, and who appreciated the that tree. It is amazing to me how much strength the trees have that live inbetween the sidewalks and the street. Their beauty makes the concrete bearable. That is a great example of a non-human being taking care of a human being. What a beautiful soul that tree has, and what wonderful healing powers. I am about to have surgery myself, and I am going to call to see if they have a room with a view of a tree. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Mother Earth is beautiful and wonderful and wants to take care of us if we let her.
Hi Kelly.
Healing and soul are not far apart in your comment! It is the valiant reciprocity of the natural world that as we protect her, she strengthens us.
I wish you all the best in your surgery.
Hi Ivy,
Thank you for your thoughtful and compassionate response: obviously you know how to appreciate a tree–and your life must be richer for it.
I liked your comment about Mathaai.
I am reminded of Shel Silversein’s “The Giving Tree” when you tell of the this Maple tree has drawn people to it. I definetly have my own personal love affair with the majestic beauty of trees. In this case I fave a feeling that the tree was not alone in drawing people to this area. There are a lot of things that go into giving an area a special power and in this case part of it seems to be good stewardship. With the herb garden and whatever other welcoming plants that are being loved and cared for with the since of sharing it is no wonder that people are being drawn to this positively charged area. I applaud you for your ability to create such a wonderful place. I would also be willing to bet that the plants are also thriving on all the appreciation.
Here in the PNW, we have so many trees that they are often taken for granted, even sometimes considered a nuisance – something that blocks the view and/or messes up the yard when it sheds its leaves. But trees in cities provide a much needed connection to nature for urbanites. Hugging them seems a perfectly natural thing to do. Perhaps more people could benefit from the healing power of trees by expanding their minds and giving it a try. In a way, hugging a tree can feel like hugging someone you trust, someone who will never let you down or judge you in any way. Sometimes it even feels as if the tree is hugging back. But regardless of what people think of hugging trees, they are our elders and we should respect them accordingly. Unfortunately this value has been diminished over the years in our society, as illustrated your statement, “What his people anciently knew, modern ecologists are just now learning.” We could learn a lot from our elders, both human and non-human, if we’d only pay attention.
The other day, while stopped at a traffic light in Seattle, I took notice of some evenly spaced trees next to the sidewalk. They were planted decades ago, and their roots have grown so much that the sidewalk is now wavy from their roots pushing up on it. I smiled because it almost appeared to be a collaborative effort of the trees to break free from the concrete that was imprisoning their roots and threatening their continued growth. It was a reminder that these trees are living and breathing and growing – not something to take for granted.
Hi Kari,
Thanks for the comment. According to the “urban forest” department of the City of Eugene, you can depend on those wavy sidewalks from trees.
Though I can understand removing a dangerous tree (that is ready to fall), I can’t see removing an inconvenient one– those that drop leaves (a wonderful bounty of mulch) or block a view or– the most obnoxious reason for removing a tree, according to a local tree service whose personnel love trees– because it was in the way of a proposed swimming pool.
There is a great Malvina Reynolds song (a folksinger from Seattle who starting writing music when she was in her sixties:) that says, “God bless the grass that grows through the cracks, they roll the machines over it, but the grass comes back”. It is a sign of hope to me as to you–and to many who loved that song, that living things come back through the cement.
And as for cement: the best building practices today use permeable surfaces for driveway and walkways. I don’t know if it is still true, but a few years back, cement was the thing second used by humans (after water). There is something to change.
Hi Luke,
Thank you for your kind comment. It is true that I have lived three decades here without using pesticides or taking any leaves or branches and tree limbs off the property–and planting so many thing I can’t count them (most are naturalized now), emphasizing native plants. But this place had an amazing feel even when I moved in and the landscaping consisted of lawn and English ivy (both gone now)– and these two maple trees.
I think I am the lucky one to live in a place where things grow so willingly and so many wild things find refuge. To live surrounded by other lives is a tremendous gift!
Having gone to school in New York City (though I grew up in Arizona and the Pacific Northwest) and lived in an area where there was nothing growing for blocks, I certainly appreciate this.
I recently discovered that the “original” tree-huggers were the women involved in the Chipko movement in India. Chipko means “to embrace” in Hindi, and these women were resisting industrial forestry clear-cutting of their local forests, which they depended upon for their gathering of subsistence food, medicine, and fuel. To my knowledge, they were the first activists to put their bodies between the trees and the logging machinery in order to protect the forest. As Callicott points out in Earth Insights, their efforts were extremely successful because Indira Ghandi declared a fifteen-year moratorium on logging in that area. What would it take to get a fifteen-year moratorium on logging in the Coast Range?
I have my own personal experience with tree-hugging. Periodically throughout my life, I have been drawn to embrace certain trees that I come upon. It’s an instinctive feeling, and I just go with it. Much like the woman recovering from breast cancer, I get a sense that there is healing there. A few summers ago, I visited the redwoods, and I was pulled toward a certain tree. I felt like the tree desired to be in relationship with me, that is wanted to have an exchange with me in a personal and specific way. I put my arms around it (well, as far as I could, anyway) and rested my cheek on its bark. Immediately, tears began pouring down my cheeks, and I heard the tree say “It’s going to be alright. Everything is going to work out.” I understood that the tree was communicating to me about the state of the world, and that Nature as a whole will still exist no matter what the coming environmental disasters are. Life will continue on this planet, but it may be very different than it is now. Just like the redwoods that are still healthy even when their trunks are hollowed out by wildfire, nature is resilient and adaptable. Life continues. Healing occurs. Trees bend in the breeze, then fall down, die, and nurse a whole forest ecosystem. It’s going to be alright.
Thanks for your touching personal experience, Rachel. In whatever ways trees speak to us, there is a mutual exchange here: we need them to sustain us and they need us to protect them (if only from ourselves in the modern age). There is a wonderful poem (“The Only Word a Tree Knows”) by Naomi Shihab Nye that says the “only word a tree knows is yes” and concludes, “I was born to answer a tree.”
What a wonderful story. I can imagine what these women feel. Just think of how many other people may have touched it that you didn’t see. There is a lot of evidence of the power of this type of non-pharmaceutical therapy… everyone has heard that petting your dog or cat lower’s your blood pressure.
Anyone seen the movie Fern Gully? The famous line from this animated movie about saving the rain forest is “Can’t you feel its pain?” She is trying to get a human to understand that the tree is a living, breathing co-exiting creature. Not just something standing in the way of what you want to call progress.
I hope that our future holds many new discoveries for us in healing outside of the pharmaceutical world. Ways in which we once again become closer to nature and rediscover the healing that things such as hugging a really large tree can bring us.
Hi Angie. Thanks for your response. I think that natural life (and we as part of it) are vastly more mysterious than we sometimes credit.
This article shows great examples of how trees can impact our lives, sometimes as simply as giving comfort. Trees are like sentinels bearing witness to our lives and offering support if we will open our eyes to see. On warm summer days, I have often sat in the shade of a tree to rest or eat lunch, enjoying the coolness and the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. These are moments of peace in an otherwise hectic day, and seem to nourish the soul. Most people have had similar experiences, but perhaps not stopped long enough to recognize the significance.
Thanks for the response, John. These moments of peace are surely a gift– all the more because you recognize and take advantage of them.
I admire the respect the healing people had for the tree by hugging it. I like the belief that we all belong to the natural web of life and that something in that web would have the power to heal our wounds. The tree in the city has had some constraints in its life for example the sidewalk and road, but the tree still flourishes and provides for many. I think it is nice that people give back to the tree. The tree has been a home to many animals in its life, and has connected people over generations. I wonder how long this tree has been living and what all it has experienced and witnessed, as the world around us is constantly changing.
Thanks for the comment, Laura. Lovely thoughts about this tree, its life and the power of its presence in the city.
In an earlier post Ben Evans (November) was asking “to what extent we are to let ourselves be vulnerable to the larger than human world?”
Dr. Holden, I very much was impressed with your response to his question and it made me reflect on my study of Confucianism. To sum up what I derived to be the heart of Confucianism was that we cannot fight against nature, and that we must flow along with it accepting it’s ups and downs. I think that this Eastern philosophy could fit in very well with Ben’s question. And also to help us understand the vulnerability we experience when we really exist in this world.
On another note, I was thinking when did being a “tree hugger” become a negative connotation in our society? I do think it is starting to be less of a negative but typically is associated with extreme environmentalist, typically activists. I think everyone should be a tree hugger! It sure seems to benefit the people who live in your neighborhood.
Hi Jessie, thanks for your touching personal response about our being vulnerable to the natural world. I am happy this idea made sense to you in terms of your study of the “heart of Confucianism”.
An essential part of any relationship is the ability to share vulnerability. But the notion of “survival of the fittest” we often apply to nature doesn’t value relationship–and certainly it doesn’t value vulnerability, as I discuss on my most recent essay on this site. Your comment urged me to ponder to what extent “survival of the fittest” is a particularly Anglo-European view–since Confucianism has an emphasis on relationship that is not central in the former.
Nice point about the negative connotations of certain terms; I’m glad this didn’t stop these women from their spontaneous response to that lovely old tree!
Isn’t the power of nature amazing! I have always been drawn to the beauty of trees in the various stages of splendor of different seasons and geographical locations. I think I am beginning to understand this is something that may be ingrained in humans. Trees offer food, shelter, aesthics, emotional support and dare I say the wisdom of the past. Watching the sway of leaves in a breeze has a calming effect above almost none else. In response to the dialouge with Kari and Dr. Holden’s reply (Nov.); wavy sidewalks also show the power of the well aged vibrant tree. It also shows that left relatively unattended nature will find a way to take back the land. It takes constant vigilance on someone’s part to keep the “grass from coming back” in the cracks. As I was reading this article I was thinking about the many people who are fighting for urban gardens in order to keep nature in their lives. The benefits often outway the “risks” of these endeavors that allow for intergenerational communication and trust. Through nature we are able to link the past and the present and teach others about the future. It is hard to fathom that there are those who do not see the many values that trees and other aspects of nature bring to our lives. We are fast learning that the world in interdependent and there must be a balance and that includes within city limits. I have seen once open fields and beautiful groves of trees become apartment buildings and family homes with little or no yard. I wonder if in another 20 or 30 years these areas may be reclaimed by the magnificent force of nature.
Hi Colleen, thanks for your reply. There is much heart as well as insight here, as usual. It is hopeful to me that we are learning our interdependence and beginning to see the values nature brings to our lives. I especially like this statement you made: “Through nature we are able to link the past and the present and teach others about the future”. Have you heard “Mama Lion” Malvina Reynolds’ song, “God bless the grass (that grow through the cracks)?” Maybe I will put up the lyrics for the next quote of the week here.
I loved this story. I truly understand what the women felt by hugging the tree. I feel that nature defenitly gives you a sence of peace. I wasnt awear of the fact that someone who was ill that has a view out a window virse no view at all heals faster. I thought that was a really interesting fact. I can see how that could be possible. I know that a lot of my childhood memories involve some type of nature. I think that a lot of people take advantage of what is around us, such as trees. They do so much for us and people take them for granted evey day. I dont know what it is .. but i love trees , I am not a flower girl! I think there is somthing about a tree the way they blow in the wind, the way they change colors there is so many things that i find so facinating about trees. This reminds me of a book i loved as a child. “The Giving Tree”. It is a great representation. I really enjoyed this article . Thank you.
Lovely, Meagan, thank you for sharing your love of trees. Obviously you don’t have to be a “flower child” to feel this way about trees. Look at Kenyan Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, who was honored for spearheading these marvelous creatures of life in her Greenbelt Movement.
Growing up in the country I never had lack of trees, flowers or green grass. It is sad that people don’t have the luxuries that I had but it is wonderful that they utilized what they do have. Nature is a wonderful thing and amazingly so it does have healing powers that bring comfort to many who need that extra little boost to carry them through. I also found it touching how these women came and hugged the tree with the men waiting for them to do what they needed.
It is sad that there are some who don’t have the luxury of this green life around them. I just read the statement of a young (high school) man from inner city New York who was part of a Nature Conservancy intern program for the summer. He said he was so stunned by the beauty that he had never seen before, he spent the whole day just looking at the estuary where there were to be working. Certainly it is a part of economic justice to make sure that all have access to such experiences.
Street trees are vital in towns and cities here in Ohio, but they are in danger too. A few decades ago the Dutch-Elm disease wiped out the predominant street tree in most areas of Ohio, affecting both American Elms and Red Elms. The city planners went back through and many of them replanted with Ash trees. Now a new menace is coming, the Emerald Ash Borer. This non-native pest is wiping out virually all Ash trees in its path, and is spreading rapidly. I believe all Ash trees in the country are at risk, so spread the word about this foreign invader.
I dont know about the healing properties of being around trees, but I know that I feel better when I am closer to the land. Maybe just feeling good helps these people heal more quickly. As far as the fruiting species in your yard, I am impressed with your generosity. I don’t know if I would be willing to part with that much of my produce, but would like to think that I would. The passing of knowledge of the land is something that has happened for years, and needs to keep happening to ensure the survival of our planet. The story about the man and his son checking the fruits for ripeness is a perfect example. I do the same things with my son when we work in the garden together or go out to pick wild raspberries for jam.
Thanks for the comment, Andrew. I don’t give away THAT much of my fruit on a percentage basis, since there is so much. But my eighty year old neighbor has a special place in my heart and she is so delighted with any fresh produce, it is hard to resist giving her some. I think it is a great opportunity to model the idea of where food comes from to the young people who haven’t got the news. I have one set of neighbors who were from New York City and didn’t know that they could pick raspberries or plums in their yard. But after one season, they have caught on and even helped design a cherry picker to pluck the high fruit in an cherry that grows in my yard but spreads over their fence line.
It is a shame about all those old elms. What kinds of ash is in danger? There is “mountain ash”, a sorbus species that has clusters of red berries the birds love and here is the Northwest, there is an entirely different species of tree called ash, which is a native wetland colonizer.
I just attended the annual celebration of the Eugene Tree Foundation and an interesting note with respect to the thousands of trees they planted was the great diversity of these trees. A speaker from a parallel foundation in Portland which has planted 375000 trees with a survival rate after five years of over 90 per cent indicated the diversity of trees they planted mimics natural settings; indeed, they have planted not only street trees but have restored habitat adjacent to streams. I am most impressed with their current participation in Portland’s “grey to green” initiative which plans to shift greyscape into greenscape in a substantial portion of formerly industrial Portland that is on riverfront.
The species of Ash that the Ash Borer attacks is from the genus Fraxinous. No Ash aroun here has berries, so that may be a different type of plant. The Ash tree that I am refering to is Green Ash, White Ash, et al. This is one of Ohio’s predominant hardwoods. Toledo Ohio has done a smaller scale riverfront improvement project as well. They are trying to bring life back into the down town areas.
This is a variety of the local native wetland tree. The sorbus is actually a European tree, but much planted as a street tree. Thanks for clarifying this point, Andrew. The before and after pics of industrial areas where trees have been planted only two years later in cities in Oregon are amazing. It must be sad to see them go back to a treeless state. I know that a very few elms are left in the US, largely singletons, planted away from where others can spread contagion. That is another advantage of planting diversely. The same is true with chestnuts (remember the chestnut blight?), but some of the remainders here seem to be resistant and so a few researchers are trying to breed these to bring back the classic American chestnut. Mixing with other more resistant species doesn’t always work as expected– as in the attempt to make honey bees resistant to mites by crossing them with the much more aggressive African varieties.
This is a powerful message to the importance of trees in all settings. Growing up in the city trees were interspersed, and parks were refuges for me as a child and my innate need for nature. I don’t think I consciously knew my need to be close to trees, but my fondest memories were under them, up in them, or using them as forts. There was a definite pull, and still is today.
I was lucky in my teenage years. The suburb of Lake Oswego had more trees per capita than any other town in Oregon. At least thats what the town said. A special ordinance made it near impossible to cut down a tree there. I wish there were more places like that today. Traveling the country, it made me sad in areas that were so sparse a single tree would catch your attention as if to say, look at me I’m all alone here.
The tree on your street is a perfect example of the healing powers, and innate sense of interconnectedness with nature that is so often passed by in the hustle bustle of western culture. Here’s to slowing down, breathing deep, and starting to heal through nature.
Indeed, Aaron. Here’s to that mutual process by which we understand how to appreciate–and thus care for the immense gifts we are given in this world, including the gift of life we share.
What you say about lone trees is interesting. Many trees share roots that continue for miles, thus the quaking aspen of Colorado have been called the largest living organism, since their roots intertwine for such a distance–and it is hard to say this is not in some ways a single tree. Some recent studies indicate that when a part of an ancient forest is clear cut, trees of similar species miles away register subtle biological differences. We don’t understand how they communicate, but then we also don’t understand how one atom that was once in contact with another registers a difference when the other is touched, even when after it has been moved to the opposite ends of the earth.
Physics called this phenomenon “action at a distance”, but perhaps it is not about distance at all.
We live in a mysterious and marvelous world, and as you say, time to appreciate this.
I would appreciate the lyrics to “Mama Lion”, thank you.
I hadn’t heard about this song until I read your response to Kari above. That line just somehow resonates with me and ties in with many of the concepts we are exploring.
Hi Colleen, it is a pleasure to share these. Mama Lion is not the name of the song, but the nickname of Malvina Reynolds who started writing music very late in life (sorry for the confusion). Here are the words to “God bless the grass”:
God bless the grass that grows thru the crack.
They roll the concrete over it to try and keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do,
It breaks and it buckles and the grass grows thru,
And God bless the grass.
God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done.
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.
God bless the grass that grows through cement.
It’s green and it’s tender and it’s easily bent.
But after a while it lifts up its head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead,
And God bless the grass.
God bless the grass that’s gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man’s door,
And God bless the grass.
Courtesy of this link, where you can find more about Malvina Reynolds:
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/MALVINA/mr053.htm
Perhaps, we see something greater than ourselves in a tree. A seed which starts out so fragile has the ability to grow into a majestic solid figure, a figure so natural and pure to us that we simply want to embrace it. As children we were drawn to trees to climb them, we could feel like we were part of something greater than ourselves when we were high in a tree being embraced by its giant limbs, we were part of nature, we weren’t in control, we were just living, just as the tree was living in that moment in time.
I believe that people, who can see trees while healing, would heal faster than those who don’t. The tree could provide a feeling of surrender, surrendering to the power of nature, so that healing isn’t in the control of an individual but part of a natural process. You could see yourself in the tree, existing and living, branches may die and fall away, but the tree still stands.
As humans in the modern world, we are separated from nature, its processes, the natural cycle of reciprocity, the feelings that nature can employ in our lives. But, when we are existing without focusing on that separation or when we are most fragile we often find ourselves drawn to trees.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Kristian. I think you have a well taken point in the tree’s showing us something larger than ourselves. I have often contemplated this idea; I think trees give us a way to transcend the smaller parts of our humanity in an earthly way for all the reasons you list.
Prof. Holden, this piece reminds me of “The Giving Tree,” a wonderful tale by Shel Silverstein. I grew up with that story, and read it to my daughter now that my son is “too cool” for bedtime stories : ).
Though the tree in the story is a metaphor, the tree itself can be representative of those forests that have stood for centuries. We only look to the natural world as an economic tool and what it can yield for us. To deny our own connection with the natural world is to deny our very humanity. We all come from the same earth: animal, vegetable, or mineral. Perhaps, to fully acknowledge and embrace the trees and the sea and the sky would be too much for people; better for them to ignore that which they are slowly destroying–for their own sanity–regardless of their own actions.
Thank you for sharing yet another wonderful article.
-Stasey norstrom
Of course one tragic result in denying our part in this destruction, Stasey, is that we also ignore our own power to change the destruction that attacks the very roots of our survival in the long term– and our quality of life in the short term. You are not the only one who mentioned the Giving Tree here– obviously, a tree makes a perfect symbol for the quality of generosity that is also possible between humans.
“The eyes of the world are looking at you.” This is such a great quote because, while seemingly simple, it says so much. It would be a great mantra for everyone. This article is really refreshing because as a child of the sixties and seventies, I often heard that “tree-huggers” were considered an oddity or a source of ridicule. “Tree-hugger” was a derogatory term in those days, but in recent times this seems to have changed. Maybe this is because they have been proven right about the importance of nature to humans. It is great to see this term morph into something that now commands serious respect.
The examples of the women healing themselves with the help of a tree reveals yet another benefit that nature provides to humankind. It reminded me of studies that I have read that clearly demonstrate the benefits of gardening. People who garden regularly report lower instances of high-blood pressure, heart disease, or stress related ailments. The same goes for pet owners, but in this case we can add lower instances of deppression and longer life to the beneficial mix.
I also like the twist on “survival of the fittest.” I had never thought of it in terms of “fitting.” What a great way to interpret it and such a departure from what most people think about it. Survival by fitting in makes much sense because (if I am deciphering your meaning correctly) it involves cooperation and reciprocation between all of nature, which will ultimately be the key to all of our survival.
Thanks for another thoughtful comment, Michael. You read my meaning exactly right in terms of “survival of the fittest”. I certainly agree with your response on this point and on the point of the healing quality of nature. This makes sense to me, since we have come to be in the context of nature…it is interesting to note that “tree huggers” is not even a US term, but derived from an action in support of trees in East India hundreds of years ago.
This reminds me so much of the childrens story The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. If you have not read it I recommend it 100%. It is a story about a tree who loves a boy very much. This tree provides him with apples to sell when he wants money, branches when he wants a house, a trunk when he wants a boat, and when she has nothing left to give, she is a place to sit when he gets tired.
The story makes me cry almost every time I read it, NO other story does this. I think it touches me that something would give themselves to you completely, and all they would want in return is love. It also speaks miles as to the selfishness of human nature, and our greediness toward the natural world.
When the boy in the Giving Tree was young, he would come see the tree everyday to play with her, collect her leaves, climb her trunk, swing from her branches, and eat her apples. The boy loved that tree, it was not just a tree it was his friend. Silverstein drew a picture of the boy hugging the tree, and the tree hugging him back. I can remember, as a young girl, feeling the security of a large tree. Sitting way up high on a branch, was like sitting on your grandfathers knee. But just as the boy had, I too lost my appreciation for the security that a tree provides, taking its gifts for granted. I think that if we can all get back to a place where we could spend hours climbing trees, and making a crown of leaves, we many learn to love our trees just as we did as children.
Hi Kate, thanks for your comment and your personal story. You might like to read the comments before yours. You are not the only one to talk about this book.
This is a great story. I especially love the idea that the shade from the tree and the fruits from the other plants encourage people to slow down and interact with one another. Whether we realize it or not deep inside most of us there is a real desire to be close to nature. This is the reason that even in our high tech world we have cats, dogs, fish and houseplants by the millions. I think that this is a direct result of the fact that for tens of thousands of years we grew into the species we are today in close relationships with nature. To think that we can replace all of that and remove ourselves from nature without any ill effects is foolish at best. The more that we incorporate nature into our lives and into our communities the happier and healthier we will be.
Nice perspective, Heath. Since the original meaning of healing is to make whole, it seems what we need most is to bring all the parts of ourselves back together again. And I can see no better model with which to do this than that of the natural world which, as you indicate, consists of our human roots so many thousands of years old.
There is something ethereal about old trees. Perhaps it is the knowledge they possess, having stood for hundreds of years. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up, and many of my childhood delights focused around trees now that I think about it; the rope swing with the 2×4 seat in my backyard and the bare dirt underneath it from overuse. I used to take my stuffed animals on the swing and accidentally drop them in that dirt. Every swing would elicit a gentle creak from the branch above. A sturdy yet comely looking triangle tree house built in a stout old Madrone tree. I remember sitting in that tree house with my brother, dangling our feet off of the beams. Every time we would move or the wind would blow, the branches above and below us would creak.
When we buried our family dogs, (and one cat) we buried them under that madrone tree, as it seemed fitting to put them in a place of so much joy. No matter what the circumstance, the happenings around the tree always seemed safe, secure, like you had an unwritten trust that the tree will watch over you.
Thank you for your lovely personal story here, Calin. I especially liked the idea of your unwritten sense of trust that the tree would watch over you.
I really liked how connected we can become with nature with the smallest amount of it present within the human constructed environment. Like Andrew Light, many people can see that their own constructed environment is interconnected and seamless like many indigenous worldviews, however, it doesn’t really allow us to understand our ancestry to the natural world. I also like to watch a tree sway in the breeze or go hiking just to “get back to nature” but I can also see our own constructed environment as seamless and interconnected, like the environment I hike in. I guess the question now is, can noticing the connectedness and seamlessness of our own city environment bring the same healing power as seeing a tree outside your window?
Thoughtful challenge, Tony. Perhaps we would walk more in the city (as in your country hike) if we saw our built environment in this way. Perhaps we would plant more city trees as well (as does the Eugene
Tree Foundation) — which also might encourage us to walk our cities more…
What a lovely story about how your maple tree and other plants have brought comfort, discovery, and the making of beautiful memories to so many people. It is amazing how nature can affect us all in such a positive way, from a nice big tree hug, intoxicating smells, and breathtaking views, it is almost impossible to escape that magic.
Thanks for the comment. I like the idea of its being almost “impossible to escape that magic”– though some seem bent on trying to escape the wonder of the natural world.
I found myself rereading this article, taking something different away from it each time. I love how the tree is used as a way of establishing community among people. I was also thinking about how the tree is used for healing. I realized that there are many ways that I seek nature for healing as well; many times without even realizing it. I think that one of the most replenishing acts is going for a jog—especially near water. The sights, sounds, and smells of this small interaction with nature are soothing; they never fail to renew my mind.
Secondly, I enjoy sitting under and admiring the stars, especially on a clear night. The stars unite us in the same way that the tree does. They serve as a reminder that we are all connected under the same vast sky.
Finally, I was thinking about the significance of trees. The article states that hospitalized patients that have a view of trees typically heal faster than those that don’t. It reminded me of how much I appreciate Oregon. I came here from California; and oddly enough, one of the reasons was because I fell in love with the trees. The lifestyle in Oregon is still much different than that of California. I feel a greater sense of connectedness in the people here. After reading the article, I can’t help but think that the trees are the reason I feel the quality of life is better here.
A lovely post in expressing the many dimensions of your response and care for trees. Beautiful images of what we share when we share the presence and significances of trees. Thanks for sharing your personal story in this way, Katelyn. I don’t think it was so odd to come to Oregon because you fell in love with trees. Now those who live in the midst of such treasures need to care for and protect them.
This article really rings true for me. Last year a very close friend of mine got in a horrible car accident that she was blessed to live through. During her recovery i would go to the recovery center and take her outside for walks and she would love to sit near this tree and just admire the trunk and the flowers on it. I feel like it was a sense of appreciation for the earth and everything in it. She always looked so much more alive after my visits. Its amazing what nature can do.
Hi JoAnna, thanks for sharing this personal experience. Nature is full of gifts–and obviously your friendship was a real gift to your friend as well.
I really think that people take for granted the beauty that nature brings to our lives. It was nice to read that there are still people who remember this simple beauty. Trees represent so many things to people, beauty, strength, protection, I know I have recieved all of these feelings from trees. I love nothing more than sitting under a tree in the summer with a good book. The trees in our world need to be protected like they protect us because they can’t protect themselves anymore.
Thinking about trees and their form of protection, Danielle, it seems to me that trees can only protect themselves from our actions with their beauty and their gift of breath to us: if humans can’t appreciate these, than the trees may well be destined to outlast humans on this earth.
Dr. Holden,
This is a remarkable story.. Wow i was absolutely amazed how these women would come and wrap their arms around this tree while they were healing. It is inspiring to see so many women that have been affected by nature in such a personable and intimate way. Not only does this story make me realize just how important a relationship with nature is but how important my relationship is. Nature is the true healer and will always be the number cure to any illness. Whether it be AIDS, Cancer or any other non serious illness. This actually reminds me of a person that i know. His name is Jonnie and he used to work with my dad. Well he got diagnosed with cancer (not sure which type) but he had to retire early and the doctor gave him six months to live. Well he was traveling around and he met this woman i think in Montana who was part of an indigenous Native American tribe here in the US. She told him about this tea that her ancestors had been making from this special type of leaf. The tea was supposed to cure illness and relinquish the body of sickness. He began drinking the tea twice a day. He is actually still alive and it has been almost 9 years since he was diagnosed. His story is inspiring along with these ladies in the article.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Gagner
Thanks for your comment, Chelsea. Cancer can be a serious diagnosis indeed, but there are problems with giving folks an estimated time to live, since there have been so many cases of spontaneous remissions or successful complementary medicine. Though there is no promise with these: what I think is that doctors can tell you (the patient) someone else’s story, but it is important to remember that they cannot tell you yours. There is so much mystery involved in the cycle of life and death. And healing literally comes from the words, “to make whole”– so that “healing” and “curing” one of disease are not necessarily the same things- there is sometimes much emotional and spiritual healing even when one is not cured.
I really related to your sentiment, “I wouldn’t have picked these couples out of an ordinary crowd…” I often forget that people have their own thoughts and feelings separate from but similar to mine. I think of myself as more conscious of the environment than some people, but a person wouldn’t necessarily be able to pick up on my values by merely looking at me. The more I look, the more of these types of examples I find. I had been working at a coffee shop for a couple of months. Among others, I worked with a younger guy, and I knew he was pursuing a biology degree while working full time. One day I asked him what he wanted to do with his education, what were his life goals? He said, “I want to save the world.” I had thought we had very little in common; it wasn’t something I could tell just by looking at him. I smiled, and I said, “That’s what I want to do, too.” Likewise, he was surprised. I think a lot of this course is about seeing and fostering connections to bring the world into perspective. Seeing a coworker as a like-minded want-to-be environmentalist is a small step in working toward seeing someone on the other side of the world as a neighbor. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your personal response expanding on this point, Christine. This is something very important to remember, as your last sentence eloquently puts it.
When I close my eyes and imagine the the sights, sounds, and smells of the Oregon Coast it takes me to a place where I feel very relaxed and at ease with the world. Even without being there physically it is a way for me to quickly reconnect with the environment. The image of someone hugging a tree is cliche in many ways, but with the context of having undergone serious surgeries like the women in these posts, it is easier to understand where they are coming from. There are most certainly healing powers to be harnessed from nature, whether through one’s imagination, physical contact, or both. I think whether or not we can see this from our hospital window is less the point and moreso that we recognize these powerful forces in the first place.
Thanks for your comment, Allison. There are healing powers to be harnessed from the natural world, Allison– not the least because this is the context in which our bodies became what they are.
I have always been very impressed by trees. They have had a huge impact on my mind and I still remember certain ones with great fondness. I love the sound of the wind in the treetops, especially up in the mountains when there is nothing else you can hear. I love how small random acts that people do, make impressions on us as well. And I always love how it is that I happened to be looking when that person was doing that act. You can be driving in your car and just out of the corner of your eye, you catch someone doing something special or amazing, and I always feel that it was a special gift for me to see it, and to happen to be there at that moment. Everywhere you look, there are stories. Trees tell stories, animals tell stories and people are ALWAYS telling stories. When I go to a therapy pool, as I am exercising, I always overhear people talking to each other and what are they doing? They are telling stories. Whatever is relevant for them at that moment, is coming alive in their discourse, sharing ideas and commonality. People talk about what is going on in their communities, what needs changing, or what needs to be heard. I was recently inspired to build a fire in my backyard fire pit, something I don’t normally do. I found it beautiful, peaceful and very comforting, sitting out under the stars, listening to and watching the flames dance their colorful dance, and I could imagine how in times when people depended upon fire, the fire would speak to them and tell them stories too, since the fire has a spirit. I felt there was something very essential about being close to fire that was healing, and I reflected upon how most people’s lives nowadays are completely out of touch with the element of fire, even thought we have fire in and around us all the time.
Lovely, response, Lesley. I appreciated your own sense of story there. Thank you!
Dr. Holden,
I have always been a lover of trees. I find them very relaxing, and if I have the opportunity I will always try to plant a tree, which is extremely gratifying for me. I can realate to this story, because I truely believe trees and all plants have great healing powers. That is really neat that those two woman hugged the maple tree for it’s healing powers, we all need to do more of that!
Thanks,
Troy
I agree, Troy. There is some powerful reciprocity here: nature helps heal us– which empowers us to help heal her.
Dr. Holden,
Another GREAT story in how people come in contact with nature and truly recognize her importance in life. Thanks for sharing about those who take the time to pass by and “stop” and appreciate the trees and plants. I am very fortunate to live in a city where trees, flowers, and fruit bloom year round. It is simply incredible! But, I believe there are times when all of us, living in Cuernavaca (the city of eternal spring) forget to “stop” and hug a tree or smell the flowers. So, this article is another great example of recognizing and appreciating what we have to enjoy day in and day out!
Paul Nash
Dr. Holden,
Thank you for sharing this article. I think it demonstrates very well people’s need for a connection to nature, whether they know it or not. I think we are sometimes raised to feel separated or above nature, but it is amazing to see people seeking that connection. The statement in the article about people in hospitals healing faster when they can look out on trees was very interesting. Working with therapy dogs I see people connect with animals all the time. Whether its plants or animals its obvious that close contact to nature is a healthy way to live.
Thanks for your comment, Tim–and for making the connection with therapy dogs. Your work must be both interesting and rewarding.
This is such a touching story. Trees and plants are so special to our world. They can create shelter, food, even safety from harm but they rarely recieve the recognition they deserve. As a child I always felt comfort in climbing up a tree just to get away and clear my head. It’s those memories that help me to keep my respect for trees alive. They have protected me from rain and even nourished me with an apple, to me this is special and I am forever grateful. The best part is they will do this for anyone, they will never descriminate against you. That is a wonderful gift.
A lovely response, Kelli, thank you! I especially like your statement about the lack of discrimination in trees. Something all of us might learn from!
I love living in Oregon. I can honestly say when things in my life get tough and I just need a place to calm down and think I go take a look outside. I will go for a hike and just take the time I need to breath. What happens when I come home after a hike is I feel healed. It’s partly because I just did physical activity and my endorphins are going. I also think that calmness that comes after a hike is the my mind embracing the wonder of the world around me.
We are very fortunate indeed to live here, Krissie. I agree with you about hiking– of course, there are those who physically cannot hike– or have little place to do so.
One of the two beech trees, which was in front of our house, had to be cut off several years ago, because the tree was sickened and died as a result of being poisoned by cement. Due to the road extensions measures undertaken by the municipality, its roots were cemented. More than hundred years this has been the place where the tree used to stand steadily, but then it had to make space in order to extend the road by one lane. Afterwards, city planners lacked budgets to realize the poject and thus, the project came to an end right after our house. The part which was supposed to become a street lane became just several new parking lots that are now be used by cars advertising their businesses. It was too late for the tree to be saved from harm. The other tree received a sign by the Authority for the Environment indicating that is is under nature conservation. Hopefully, it will save him from suffering the same fate as ist brother.
What a sad story, Nick. Shows the outcome of human carelessness, but let’s hope for the continued care of the remaining tree. I sometimes ponder the history such trees have witnessed and the perspective they could relate to us from their position as sentinel all these years.
It’s interesting to look at the various “services” that trees offer us: providing oxygen, food, shade, ..etc. I don’t normally think of it this way, but I guess if you add up all of these “services”, then we are truly dependent on trees (and other elements in nature). But then, I think most people don’t view this dependency as something important. For example, I feel I’m more dependent on the grocery store than I am dependent on nature itself (even though it is the ultimate provider of all the products in the store). Maybe that’s why many people don’t appreciate the true importance of nature, and how/why we are all interdependent with it…
This is one of the issues of the modern age, Yousef. In that we are separated from the sources of our sustenance, we don’t even recognize them, much less care for them. This is also one of the important things about local farmer’s markets (as in the open markets everywhere in Palestine). They teach us about the essential role of those who related directly to the land in procuring our food.
This story makes me think about my youth when I would climb to the top of whatever tree I could find. There were these two trees in my backyard in Virginia, one that had branches low that I could climb then crossing over to the larger tree where the branches reached across to the other. I would climb about 40 feet up and just sit in the top of the tree with it swaying in the wind. I was about 8 and my mom would get so worried but I would climb up there often, just to get away from everything else down below. Yesterday I stepped outside and my daughter was sitting in a tree, drawing a picture in her sketch book. I don’t generally express my appreciation by hugging trees on the sidewalk, but I do enjoy them, they remind me of my youth, a place I can go back to in my mind, looking out high above my two story house, farther up than my older brother would climb, free of entaglements.
Thanks for sharing your personal response here. Lovely images here!
In the example of the tree, nature has taught human-beings how to be more human, how to connect again with one another and with the natural world all around us, which in turn connects us again to one another.
Lovely points, Michael. Well said! We certainly need to honor the living creatures that can teach so much about the potentials of being human.
I really enjoyed the picture of the father testing the kiwi for ripeness with his son.
As a child, my favorite relatives to visit were my great aunt and uncle. My uncle would take my brother and I for walks on his property and point out all the different trees and birds. He had wild blueberries growing on the hill behind the house and we used to go and check them often to see if they were ripe yet. He was the main influence in my life that taught me to appreciate the outdoors and connect with nature. It is a wonderful legacy that I hope to be able to pass down to my children and grandchildren as well.
Thanks for sharing this touching personal family image–and the legacy that you will be passing on, Julie. Let’s all work to keep this earth vital so that we can indeed pass on such legacies to those who follow us.
What a simple yet beautiful story. I personally think that plants hold so much intrigue and history. I think that all people can relate to this story in some way. The first personal story that came to my mind when I read this article was the story of how I met my fiancé; a shared fascination with fossilized plant leafs brought us together like the community members in your story were brought together by the tree outside your home. We were both in the last year of our undergraduate education when we applied to and got the same internship at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science doing paleobotanical work. Together we would sit together on rock outcrops extracting fossilized leafs that were tens of millions of years old. We both watched in awe as sedimentary rocks yielded delicately veined leafs. In this instance the types of flora that were represented in the fossil assemblage taught us what the ecology of Eastern Colorado was like around 60 million years ago.
Thanks for sharing your personal story, Samantha!
In the small town, where I work, there are lots of those trees that stand between the sidewalk and street. Though they are there to look decorative and remain small and delicate, it seems that these trees are not just “flourishing” but fighting back against their constraints. Often, a lane of traffic must be closed so that people can cut back the tree branches which flow into the road, and the sidewalk is nearly destroyed by the trees roots, which force the cement to crack and raise several inches off the ground. Usually, I think that it’s cruel to try and contain trees in so small an area, but occasionally, I like the visual reminder that nature can’t (or shouldn’t) be contained.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing this perspective on the trees in the town where you work. I am all for taking out parking and butting out strips along the roadways where such trees grow to make more room for them.
I have yet to hug a tree but I think I will soon. I live in a newer community hwere there are no mature trees. To me there is a sense of lacking history here. In an older neighborhood the sight of older trees informs visitors and locals of history there. That tree has seen good times and bad but it still stands. It shows how we must also go through good and bad times but still survive. That tree when it was planted depended on humans to water it. Just like we depend on our parents to prepare us for the future. Now it seems we depend on the tree for shade and support. Spriritual support. As our parents mature they need help from us. Okay I will hug a tree now.
Hi Al, I like your insight about the ways in which elder trees “informs visitors and locals of history”. Like the tree, we go through good times and bad, as you say– and still survive. This reminds me about something Nisqually elder Billy Frank said when asked about hope for the future in the context of current environmental crises. He stated that nature has not given up on her life–and we might add that as long as nature does not do this (and shows us this in such things as these trees) we should not give up on our work to restore and care for the life of nature. Great point about what we depend on from a tree!
I need to hug a tree.
Great that you know this, Al. Go for it!
This article was very uplifting and helps us think about the different ways to appreciate the natural world that surrounds us. When you stated that research has shown that those who look out on a tree from their hospital window heal faster than those with no veiw, it immediately reminded my of my grandfather. He is now 94 years old and still appreciates his garden and the trees that surround his house more that anyone I know. In relation to this article, I constatly see him sitting on his chair and just staring out from his window at the trees he planted years ago. When it is nice outside, he goes and sits outside and stares for hours and hours at the neighbors trees. I never actually thought of it before prior to reading this article, but now I realize that he may do this as a healing or relaxation process, and maybe because it just makes him feel good. Luckily, he lives in a neiborhood where people appreciate their yards and actually take care of them. When I go home this weekend, I may actually sit out and join him!
The thing I love most about the idea of a tree in the middle of a developed neighborhood is the fact that we can still appreciate and be “one” with nature even in an urban environment. Nature can still have a healing power whether it is outside of a hospital or in a front yard. It seems to me that, even after centuries of cutting down forests and disrespecting nature in the Western worldview, plants can still forgive us and continue to give back when we plant trees or gardens in these unlikely settings. We are able to respect nature, such as this tree, in a place that is “close to home” and in return we receive not only beautiful, healing plants but also a sense of community within our own species. It really does give me hope that we can finally “get back to nature.”
Hi Lauren, thanks for your comment. Your sketch here indicates the loyalty that trees seem to have towards humans even after our abuse (cutting down forests, giving them so little space to share with us). Let us hope that the natural world in general continues to express such care for her human children until we find our way back home to care for nature and human community both in the way in which we are capable (to use Trevor’s word) of doing.
The central theme of “trees uniting humans” is a great observation. Trees unite us in more ways than one. Most mobile beings have a dependency on oxygen. Since oxygen is the main product from the photosynthesis reaction, we mobile beings have a united relationship with plants whether we recognize it or not. We also depend on trees for aesthetic and emotional stability such as the “woman with her arms around the tree…(that just had) shoulder surgery” (Madronna Holden, Our Earth/Ourselves, Tree Huggers in the City). Nature is such an intricate part of our existence because it is the backdrop of our existence. It is the wooden stage of the Broadway show that is our lives.
The parallel drawn, at the end of the essay, between trees sheltering humans and henceforth humans could shelter others is interesting. Just as we are linked to plant life through our dependencies on oxygen, it would be nice to take the cycle of sharing and respect that the trees give us, and “pay it forward” to others.
Thanks for this comment, Shamon. Just as we all breathe the same air–to take your example– perhaps we might also understand that we are all united in the circle of life. A hopeful vision here!
I found the information that those with the view of a tree heal faster than those without surprising. I know that if I ever find myself in a hospital I will insist on a room with a view. I agree with the ideas expressed in this article. If humans continue with their ’survival of the fittest’ principle, destruction of important assets will follow. For example, people act as though their destructive ways will have no effect on the world, but animal and plant species are going extinct, which could lead to distasterous outcomes. Without the life of plants on this planet, humans will not be able to sustain life either. The indigenous people knew this, and at the present time, people should stop cutting down forests in mass orders, and worry more about desertification and sustaining life on this planet.
Hi Katie. Thanks for your comment. I do think trees have the loveliest ways of reminding us how much we need them. If only industrializing humans would pay more attention to such messages!
This is one of those “aww” stories that can make my day. I love that more than one person hugged the same tree, and that neither of them seemed to stand out as a “tree hugger”. Something about the calmness of the tree could certainly lead to feelings of calmness in an individual. When we feel stress for prolonged amounts of time, it can suppress our immune systems and make us less able to recover. In my stress and coping class last term we learned of a study in which married couples with high levels of stress as measured by stress hormones in their blood took much longer to heal from blisters that were intentionally created on their arms compared to couples with low levels of stress hormones and seemingly healthier relationships. Removing oneself from the midst of stressful life events and connecting with nature can definitely induce the relaxation response, bringing stress hormone levels down and making the body more able to heal with stronger immune functioning. Hence, it makes perfect sense that hugging a tree is therapeutic. The part about the dad testing the fruit for his child was another “aww” moment..
more father or mother/ child bonding moments should involve nature.
Thoughtful analysis of why this tree might have been healing to these women in terms of ideas of stress, Karen. But perhaps it is simpler than that altogether. We became human amidst the trees, so it makes sense that our bodies would feel at home there once again. Thanks for your comment– I found these events touching as well.
I don’t know how it happens, but I agree that nature itself can be a source of healing for many people. I think part of it comes from nature’s soothing and relaxing vibe. When the body relaxes, it can heal itself quicker. This is a very encouraging article in that it gives several examples of how just one garden can really positively affect a community. Healing, growing relationships, and having something in common are all byproducts of nature. I thought it was weird that those women hugged the tree, and maybe even weirder for the husbands, but that is just the impact nature can have on people. I enjoyed the short bit about the father and his son. It painted a very vivid picture in my mind, one that makes me smile. I enjoyed reading this article. Thank you for sharing it.
You are certainly welcome, Chris. I guess whatever healing energy, in the last analysis, this women were getting from their physical connection to this tree belongs to them– not to us who are witnessing from the outside.
I loved the thought that this essay ended w/ : “Survival of the Fittest,” instead of dog-eat-dog, the better we can “fit” into our natural world the easier and more fulfilling life can become…and maybe even allow it to stick around for a bit longer?
I’m glad you liked this, Jessica. I think you will also like the longer essay on this point on the problems with this “dog-eat-dog” view of natural fitness: “Misusing Darwin”.
Trees seem to be one of the most exploited natural resources we have on our planet. We chop them down to build our homes, to make our paper, we use trees to provide warmth in the winter and tap into them to provide a topping for our pancakes. But I would venture a guess that until reading your essay most people would not think about a tree in a healing and spiritual sense. This is very unfortunate because the inner strength that a tree possess must be considerable greater than what we have inside of ourselves. They are powerless against progress and our machines and yet they stand tall in our wilderness. They continue to grow and reproduce despite the environmental devastation that is happening around them. Our wilderness if full of trees that have been here longer than the white man and If we stopped for a moment to listen to our trees blowing in the wind…we would probably learn something.
Thanks for your comment, Anedra. I agree that we have something to learn from natural beings that are more ancient than non-Indian lives on this land! Since trees take carbon out of the air, are the lungs of the earth, keep soil in tact and fertile– not to mention, providing food and shelter for many living creatures including humans, they are worthy of respect.
The spiritual qualities that you point out we might also see in trees surely have something to teach us as well!
This article conveys the undeniable connection and relationship between man and plant life that is often missed due to worldviews of human separateness. In addition to their beauty and function in photosynthesis, there is much more to be gained from plants. A client at the Transition Center where I work is a member of the Oglala Sioux of Pine Ridge. Taking this class has opened a communication pathway between he and I that has led to many discussions about the culture and traditions of his Tribe. He has told me that all life flows from Mother Earth—with birth and death part of the natural cycle of the Circle of Life through which all things are connected. The Circle of Life is represented by the 4 Sacred Directions (North, South, East, West). Each direction is a vital part of the Circle of Life and has sacred plants that play a vital role in spiritual and physical knowledge and well-being. Plants such as Tobacco, Cedar, Sage, Sweetgrass, Copal, Aspen, Bearberry, and many more are used in ways ranging from medicinal concoctions to protection from evil. Besides their uses, these plants represent a different part of Mother Earth such as her hair or her breast.
Nowadays, we are constantly immersed in Western culture and its values. What I learned the most from this client is that these ideas are still alive.
Thanks for sharing this note about a tradition that is very much alive, Bree. That is true of many indigenous traditions despite the harrowing history that many indigenous communities have experienced.
I am heartened by the fact that such connections to the natural world are still with even some of those who were raised in traditions that give so little emphasis on the “undeniable connection” between humans and the natural world!
This essay was really inspiring to me. I remember feeling a touch of healing in my grandmother’s backyard. Everytime I was feeling down, or just too stressed out, if I went to my grandmother’s yard and just sat under her big cedar tree, I felt so much better. Everyone should be able to feel this kind of sense of relief.
Indeed, Patricia. how fortunate you were to have a grandmother with such a tree/yard to share with her granddaughter.
I just loved this article!! It was so uplifting to read. I have to be honest when I read the title of this article I didn’t think it would start off like that or provide the information that it did. It was such a different take on a “tree hugger.” I praise those people for hugging the tree and bring “peace” to themselves, with the natural healing of a tree. I know when people go through a traumatic experience it is always best to find your own personal way of healing, and to each is their own of whatever it may be. I don’t think that people really realize that something as simple as a tree can help somebody so much. Things like this show us that we need to value this earth and all the things that encompass it.
Hi Jose, I’m glad you enjoyed this! These women not only found a way to bring healing to themselves but to me in watching theme and to many who have read this article– that is a little of the tree’s gift to us. Yet more to be grateful for.
And happy thanksgiving to you!
I have never heard of research finding that those who “look out on a tree from their hospital window heal faster than those with no such view”, but such a concept does not surprise me in the least, for I feel MUCH healthier, and more at peace when I am surrounded by trees. Trees are the reason for the existence of most life on earth, after all. Plants were amongst the first living things on this planet, allowing it the oxygen that complex organisms needed to survive and evolve into the humans and animals which exist here on earth today. So, perhaps it is not so far-fetched to declare that looking upon a tree will heal one faster than not, and I understand where then the idea originated that hugging a tree just might heal a person even faster.
Even if hugging a tree is not truly and scientifically a cure for medical issues, perhaps it is a cure for the soul. Perhaps by embracing the natural thing that grants us our breath, our very life, it will continue to do just that in a healing sense… grant us another breath, beyond the one we thought might have been our last, and prolong our very lives. Or perhaps it will just make our last breaths worth taking because by hugging a tree, our souls will be healed. By embracing something far larger than our “human smallness” we can abandon our “human separateness” and our souls will be purified.
This is the way I would feel anyhow. Walking amidst a forest of trees and breathing in the scent of their foliage seems to rejuvenate me, and I feel my breath is worth even more than it did before I took the time to embrace such natural beauty; before I took the time to separate myself from the constant, mundane and rather narrow-pathed rhythm of humanity, and regard all that is bigger than myself; recognize that these trees render souls just like my own. Perhaps all they want is that recognition, that embracing gesture, and they will grant us one more breath than our last.
Let us cure our own souls by recognizing the souls of nature herself. Let us heal our soul by embracing the soul of a tree. Regard their lives, and perhaps they will regard ours.
Hi Cherise. I like your idea of the oxygen trees generate not only being the practical basis of our lives but “making our last breaths more worth taking”– I think this is true at any time of our lives.
Thanks for your eloquent words on the links between our souls and the healing souls of the natural world.
Apparently this class is affecting me. When coming back from the store today with my daughter, I found myself commenting (as we passed a new-ish housing development), ‘Oh look, those yards have no trees.’ We were both surprised and puzzled, since where we live, there are truly trees everywhere, of many sizes, shapes and (although many branches are now getting bare) colors. The two lots without trees stood out and just looked wrong, we both agreed.
I’m very pleased with many current civic ordinances that require new businesses and houses to have trees in front of them. I don’t know that I’ve intentionally hugged a tree, but I’ve climbed them and sat in them for hours as a kid, spent many a summer lunchtime sitting against them as an adult, and logged quite a few miles hiking among them. I couldn’t live without trees.
Thanks for your comment, Patrick. I am not sure it is this class that is affecting you but something deeply human inside us all. I fully believe that such things as the trees you speak of teach us how to become fully human–and thus those barren recently “developed” lots grate on many of us.
One of the main things that drew me to buy a house in my neighborhood was the old mature tree-lined shady streets. I have always liked trees. They are the home to so much urban wildlife and in the country the animals like to use them as scratching posts, a napping place and the fruit from them comes in handy too. If trees can see, just think of the things that they witness! I’m in awe of anything that can live to be over 100 years old. My old black walnut tree was around when there were no automobiles in Salem…now there are thousands. I put a swing in that tree when my son was a toddler and it is still hanging in the back yard. Swings that hang from trees with tall branches are the best…you can get very high! I hate to see those old pictures of loggers cutting down those old, huge trees. For some reason trees that are old just seem more human than bushes or other plants. My son would watch an animated movie when he was young called “Fern Gully”. There were little fairies in Fern Gully that would speak for saving the trees. When ever I see a tree taken down I’m thinking about the animals that lived there. I’m glad that Salem has rules about cutting down trees. They are important. This show on OPB was documenting the year of a fig tree in the jungle. So much wildlife depend on the fig tree to survive. Then there is this specialized fig wasp that pollinates the fig. The fig tree can’t survive without that special wasp and the wasp can’t survive without the fig tree.When I think of trees in general, I can’t think of anything negative about them. All of my tree thoughts and memories are good ones! I think I’ll go hug my tree and show it some appreciation in the morning!
Thanks for your delightful response, Kelley. It does seem to me that those living beings (or ecosystems) that are older than humans deserve some status and respect for being our “elders”– who might teach us something about how to live in the world we share.
I appreciate the reminder of the ways in which we are all related!
It’s really cool that people in hospitals heal faster when they have the ability to look out the window and have a tree in sight. This is the first time I have ever heard anything like this, but it does make sense. Nature does profound things for us all; we just have to embrace nature and let it work it wonders. This brings me to your point of “we must learn to be vulnerable to the larger than human world—give in to our impulse and lean on the tree.” I think a large part of our population understand the importance of trees but at times, take their existence for granted. Humans shouldn’t hold themselves smaller or larger than the rest of nature; humans are just another piece to the puzzle and that’s what makes the natural world so wonderful.
Indeed, Matt. Thanks for this comment. It should add to our sense of belonging to know we do not stand apart from nature as either less or more than the natural world, as you note.
When I go for walks in my city, I purposely chose to walk down streets with trees, during the summer they shade me from the hot sun and during storms they shelter me, they also add a soundtrack with the birds they house and they also make me feel safe and I do not feel alone. On some days certain trees especially the older ones provide me with strength and inspiration, so I can understand why those women needed to hug those trees.
I have been living in my new neighborhood for over a year now and I know my block rather well. The other day I was walking down the street and I felt a difference and it was disturbing but I could not figure out what it was but there was a certain coldness and grayness in a particular spot. The next day as I walked down the same block I knew what it was, someone had chopped down a pine tree on their lot. It was really a sad sight and I thought of all the squirrels and birds and how they must have felt, displaced as I had been?
‘Thanks for sharing the strength and inspiration you get from your neighborhood trees, Yensi. That must certainly be something you can use in your life in the South Bronx (I say that, having living in New York while I was getting my Ph.d)
A compassionate story of the pine tree– it is not just ourselves that profit from the presence of these green elders among us.
I really enjoyed reading this story, as there is little more special in life than the relationship an individual shares with nature. I had no idea that the presence of trees outside a window has been proven to contribute to healing, but I can understand why: nature has a certain calmness than cannot usually be derived from relationships with other people. Nature, and trees for that matter, live in a kind of continuity that we do not normally experience otherwise. I think the women discussed in the story sought out the big, old, maple tree for comfort because it was so large and seemed to have knowledge in its history. I remember spending summer days as a child leaned up against one of the trees in my parents’ backyard, enjoying the breeze—and the shade, and a refuge when things didn’t seem to be going my way. I think that trees serve as a reminder of the beauty of nature and provide a safe haven because they do not take anything from us, but bring us shade, comfort, fruits (in many cases), and offer protection. Moreover, the examples in this story accentuate the wonder of a relationship between man and nature, and what nature has to offer us in terms of protection and comfort, both in a physical and emotional sense.
Thanks for this comment, Lauren. There is indeed knowledge contained in the history of a tree– knowledge to sooth and heal us as we stand in its presence (even if we do not totally understand this is words).
I think you were lucky to have such trees to learn up against as a child. Surely we are blessed to share our lives with such green beings.
I loved this story or article, I definitely believe in the power of healing, hollistically and everything else included. I also am a firm believer in positive thought and it’s amazing ability to make things happen. I love the idea that in the place that that tree shouldn’t flourish, surrounded by cement, it is a lush garden like atmosphere. It’s always amazing the perseverence that can emerge from unlikely places.
And how that perseverance derives from the natural world rather than ourselves– though it can certainly be a model for us. Thanks for your comment, Emily.
My first thought while beginning to read this story was “I wish there was a photo of this tree so that I might see it’s beauty”. I love trees above most anything. Their life giving oxygen, their graceful limbs, their leaves that come and go, their needles that soften the grass and earth below, their nourishing seeds and nuts and fruits, and their smell on a warm afternoon. I think it’s beautiful that people heal faster when exposed to a tree thru the window. I do think it’s interesting that this particular tree drew so much attention, which again makes me wish I had a photo!!
Hi Amy, this is a photo of the trunk of the tree here. Given all the fences and streets nearby, I could only take a pic of the canopy from a heliocopter!
What an uplifting article! I’ve always thought of street trees as “fake” trees, but your story has given me a whole new perspective, and for that, I must thank you
I’m actually really inspired to try hugging a tree the next time I’m feeling sickly…we’ll see what happens!
Hi Randa, thanks for your comment. I’m glad you now have a different opinion of street trees– there are hundreds of them in Eugene’s “urban forest” without which our climate and quality of life would certainly be vastly different.
Good luck on your personal tree hugging experiment: one thing about it, this has no dangerous side effects!
It’s funny that most people just don’t think to even really take in trees and street trees at that. I live in Seattle and one thing I love to do is stare at the trees while riding the bus into the city. The trees give me this sense of life that in all the madness of the city we are reminded of where we came from the earth. I enjoyed this article because for me it truly hits home. I have been very sick the past two weeks and was at home unable to function or even type. The only thing that comforted me in my room was that I could look out onto the streets and see the trees and the changing of the leaves, the wind and the light. For me I so desperately wanted to be out of the dull confines of my room. Thank you for sharing this article.
Thanks for your feedback, Jazmin. I hope that you are feeling better now. Your comment is a reminder to all of us to take advantage of the gifts of these natural presences and the beauty they bring us.
How great it is to have been graced by the presence of this tree in front of your house! I find it inspiring that something that we normally look right past and take for granted in our busy everyday lives is still acknowledged and appreciated, more-so than I imagined. The most inspiring part of this story is the encounter of the woman who had breast cancer and felt as though the tree had healing powers. This is exactly the interconnectedness we have with nature that the Grandmothers express.
I am fortunate indeed to be graced by such a tree in front of my house, Alana. I was inspired by this woman as well- thanks for your comment.
This was a beautiful story! It is absolutely amazing how plants and nature can bring people together, create connections, and heal. I feel like the lack of communication with nature is one of the many factors that has lead to our ever widening generation gap. Those moments aren’t being shared between a father and son, people are choosing to go to gyms rather than take a walk through the fresh air, and we are losing our important connection to something so much greater than ourselves.
I am glad you liked this, Sarah. Thank you for you comment– I certainly agree.
I love trees. The picture of the tree in this article is beautiful. It really does look like a tree that would be lovely to hug. Each tree is precious and a gift. I watched elders make a teepee and they did a ceremony asking the trees for their branches to be used. But it is not only us humans that love trees, but many organisms who do. From the symbiotic relationship of fungus and bacterias who live among the roots to the acorn woodpecker who is so valued and prized. Lovely trees who seem to watch over us and grow up with us, feed us, and love us.
Thank you for these reminders of what trees do for all and for other beings that share the natural world with us, Val!
A moving comment!