what are men to mountains and trees?

a favorite quote from george bernard shaw: "except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does." i am currently enjoying a fascination for trees. it was brought on by living in an area that is being newly developed, neighborhood after neighborhood being thrown up with monsterous houses and a stark lack of...anything else. it took me a bit to figure out what the void i felt was/ why i didn't care to be outside/ why i had no desire to own one of the super nice homes i'm surrounded by. but a visit to our old provo neighborhood, a 100+ year old college community just 20 minutes south, made the connection in my heart and mind. there were trees. old houses and lots and lots of trees. tall ones. full ones. old ones. ones with swings. ones that shaded entire yards. what comfort they brought!! what is it about trees that is so reassuring to me? why would i choose an old delapidated house that boasts a majestic tree over a new perfect house in un-landscaped suburbia? grant and i dream of a home (probably only to be had in the next life) that rests at the end of a tree lined drive, humble and protected. the trees swaying in welcome when we arrive home. filtering harsh light, standing firm against harsh wind. offering a song on breezy days and beauty and richness in the changing seasons. that connect us to years gone by. reminding us of the importance of roots and a heaven-ward reach. a place where kids want to blissfully climb higher and escape this world- a church of sorts. a masterpiece of nature. a testimony that age is beautiful and lines and spots mean experience and solidarity. the branches reaching out charitibly to house and protect creatures great and small, and feed them too- no wonder they are the subject of so many of the parables of jesus. yes, i would be happy to live in any home that had befriended some trees in years gone by, be it ever so humble.

Comments

[Aimee]

Kelly, I love the way you write, it is so beautiful. I too love trees, and I too live in an area devoid of them. You put my thoughts to words perfectly.

[Ashley Schultz]

Your writing is beautiful. I can relate to this post - I love trees too.

[heath]

so poetic. impressive.

[Tiffany]

Move to Maryland. Or the east coast for that matter. You will not be disappointed. Tree after glorious tree.

[Chelle]

This is glorious!
What a deep and beautiful soul you must be.
So book-worthy. Thank you for beautifying my life today.

[Natalie]

yes, yes...i miss the trees. you've been to NJ though right? what mission?? but yes, i talk to ethan ALL the time about how i miss the trees. excellant post

[Marilyn]

WOW!...and thanks for watching over my daughter yesterday while she slept!

[lauren]

im guessing this has something to do with growing uo in TAHOE? maybe?

[Jill]

I so agree. I almost threw up when we went out to Eagle Mountain. It's just one huge development covered in vinyl siding. I love those old neighborhoods in Provo.

[Courtney]

Last year a big storm ripped through our neighborhood and I watched my two neighbor's old pioneer trees fall. It changed our street so much it makes me want to move.

[Lucky Red Hen]

I, too, have an affinity for trees (we're from the NW). At Christmas in Seattle, my kids got out of the car for church and said, "What's that sound?" I had to pause to figure out what they meant. It was the swish of the tall trees in the wind - sounded a bit like a river. So sad my kids don't know what that sound is.