That’s an intriguing question. Perhaps a tree is:
An idea in the mind of people. An abstract concept.
A tall, large plant with thick, woody branches anchored in dirt by extensive roots.
A long-lived perennial, which means it usually rides on the Earth more than one 320 million mile trip around the Sun. (btw, one particular tree is the longest living thing on Earth)
A non-complaining, peaceful, resilient, healthy system that goes through active periods of time in summers and quiescent periods of time in winters
A process which functions to connect the processes of our Earth and our Sun
A living system which teams up with genetically unrelated chloroplasts to serve the function of taking in carbon dioxide, water and sunlight and synthesizing them into carbohydrates, which can then be used to maintain the tree’s structure and to produce fruits and nuts so that more trees can happen and so that animals can be nourished.
A process to create leaves, which are key ingredients (along with bacteria) in the production of dirt.
A light-obstructing object in the sensorium of animals.
A home and a meal for bugs.
A place for the attachment of fungi.
A stage in the production of fire by people. (Fire- the light & heat radiation that accompanies the oxidation of carbon-carbon bonds)
The reason why we have axes, loppers and chainsaws.
The main ingredient in paper production.
The usual receptive antenna through which lightening rebalances electrical charges between clouds and the Earth
An object of wonder for people. An object for artists to depict. An object of adoration and value for people.
A place for people to climb, perch and play.
A fellow dancer in the Cosmic Dance, a fellow actor and ever-evolving sub plot and in the Cosmic Play.
A cousin of mine, since we both share the same grandparents (mother nature and God).
A structure to facilitate the lives of birds and squirrels, upon which they can perch and build nests.
A process which provides cooling shade for other plants and animals during hot summers.
An obstruction for wind and sunlight.
One of myriad ways rainwater recycles back into carbohydrates.
A way that our biome stabilizes dirt from excessive erosion, so that other species of plants and animals have a nice home.
A producer of beautiful and functional wood, which people can use in construction of homes, crafts and implements.
The main producer of cellulose (chains and sheets of several hundred to over 10,000 D-glucose molecules linked by indigestible beta one-four bonds).
A unique, important process happening in at least 4 dimensions, centered in this 3-dimensional space and in this moment in time (but extending infinitely in those 4 dimensions).
A beautiful, dynamic, ever-changing collection of quarks, atoms, molecules and fields (gravitational and electromagnetic), organized by the miraculous, unknowable, metaphysical forces which constitute Divine Grace.
And finally, a playful, intriguing conjecture for what a tree is: a tree is an ANTENNA that I can use to transmit metaphysical energies to each of you and receive energies from each of you, and thereby connect with you better. (today in the hottub I felt a strengthened connection with Linda and Cindi through the assistance of ‘my’ trees. A question to ponder-- if I have a strong faith in the scientifically unprovable belief that a tree that I am in or near helps me to connect with others, is that belief true? If it’s true in my reality, if it seems to often work for me, do I thus create my own reality? (btw, one of the many lessons I learned from Joanie is that it’s often wise to practice ‘not knowing.’)
So a tree isn’t one thing! Sometimes it’s a gorgeous material to craft into a bowl for Dad, a source of wool dye (or a friend) for Mom, a jungle gym to climb for many of us, something to keep healthy for O Ryan, something to swing from for Becky, and an antenna, sometimes, for me.
Similarly, we are all many things!
PS. Whenever I nourish myself with a fig, I take in a dose of Bill. Does that really happen? It seems to in my reality.
PPS. my favorite charity for the last afew decades has been: Trees For the Future (plant-trees.org) I have helped them plant over 60,000 seedlings, to help our brothers & sisters overseas.
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