Advice From a Tree...

Advice From a Tree...

Dear Friend

Stand Tall and Proud

Sink your roots deeply into the Earth

Reflect the light of your true nature

Think long term

Go out on a limb

Remember your place among all living beings

Embrace with joy the changing seasons

For each yields its own abundance

The Energy and Birth of Spring

The Growth and Contentment of Summer

The Wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall

The Rest and Quiet renewal of Winter

Feel the wind and the sun

And delight in their presence

Look up at the moon that shines down upon you

And the mystery of the stars at night

Seek nourishment from the good things in life

Simple pleasures

Earth, fresh air, light

Be content with your natural beauty

Drink plenty of water

Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes

Be flexible

Remember your roots

Enjoy the view!

~ Ilan Shamir

I've been taking yoga classes for about four weeks now and I am really loving every minute of it. I know that it's something that I will continue to do for the rest of my life (just like reading & photography)! My yoga teacher, who is also the owner of the yoga studio, read the above poem to us the other day during class and at first I thought it was a little too cutesy & a little too corny.

But then I stopped to take the time to read it again and I could see the wisdom behind the words...they are so true.

Seeing...yet not seeing

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see" ~Henry David Thoreau
"It is the familiar that usually eludes us in life. What is before our nose is what we see last." ~William Barrett


The other day I had an hour of "free time" without the kids, so I decided to take my camera and go for a drive (with no destination in mind) to take some pictures. I stumbled upon a peaceful creek, a flock of birds sitting on a telephone line, a lovely produce stand with gorgeous red tomatoes...and the most beautiful & interesting tree that I have ever seen. I knew for sure that I had never come across this most unusual tree before...the blossoms were like fine white bristles. The white gradually turned pink towards the tip and then ended with tiny yellow dots. This tree was unlike any I had glimpsed before, or so I thought! On the way back home I kept seeing this same type of tree over & over again...I must have counted 8-10 different times. Then, as I was turning into our neighborhood, I noticed this tree right around the corner from our house! I didn't need to drive miles & miles from home to find something unique & unusual...all I had to do was open my eyes and "see" what was right in front of me all the time!

Despite doing numerous Google searches, I haven't been able to identify what type of tree this is...any ideas? Anything that you have just recently noticed for the first time?

"The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." ~Marcel Proust