Trees, Interdependence, and Me

I love trees. I have written about them and how they inspire me. I recently read a fascinating book entitled, The Island of Missing Trees. I related to the story because it was about the Greek Turkish Cypriot war of 1974. I was on an exchange program in Turkey during that time and learned about the war from a Turkish perspective.

Aside from the story line about the war and the romance between a Greek man and Turkish woman, the story is partially told by a fig tree who possesses great insight about the world. The tree indicates that she does not experience loneliness. Trees are aware of and experience a sense of connection with other beings in their ecosystem, even those not of the same species. The book’s theme connotes the myriad dimensions of the interconnectedness of life.

The fig tree addresses how a person’s character can be discerned by what he/she/they first notice about a tree-the trunk, the branches, or the roots. The fig tree stated, “Some people stand in front of a tree and the first thing they notice is the trunk. These are the ones who prioritize order, safety, rules, continuity. Then there are those who pick out the branches before anything else. They yearn for change, a sense of freedom. And then there are those who are drawn to the roots, though concealed under the ground. They have deep emotional attachment to their heritage, identity, traditions.” For me, the first thing I notice is the trunk.

All trees are essential and merit attention and commendation. The fig tree noted that a tree exists for every mood and every moment. For example, “When you have something precious to give to the universe, a song or a poem, you should first share it with a golden oak before anyone else… If you want to merge stronger and kinder from your trials, find an aspen to learn from…. If you are hurting and have no one willing to listen to you, it might do you good to spend time beside a sugar maple… If you have too many regrets, a weeping willow will offer solace…”

Recently I was on a walk with an Indigenous park ranger who paused briefly to listen to the wind in the trees. He said he could hear the voices of his ancestors in those trees. This observation reminded me that life is not about independence or dependence. Trees illustrate the value of interdependence for life to flourish. Trees are not just trees. They have lessons to teach me.