Teacher from Nature

Nature, everyone seems to love it. But us humans have a toxic relationship with nature. Maybe that is how we are in our relationships that we choke the person with love until they can breathe no more. Maybe, just maybe this is where we falter in our relationships as we have faltered with nature.

Trees play a vital role in the world. We have been taught that they provide us with oxygen and yet with no hesitation we chop them down. Is it only oxygen that they provide? Let's dive a little deeper into a world that I instantly connect to.

From my tiny balcony, in concrete jungles I often dream of the magical life I lived. I spent most of my childhood climbing trees, sitting on the high branches trying to get comfortable reading my favorite books. I felt a sense of connection with them. I felt the winds kiss and the trees embrace. My house had pears, peaches and plum trees that often gifted me the sweetest fruits. I call them my best friends till date.

I discovered my gift when I was sitting on the pear tree on a lazy Sunday morning, reading a book. The calmness of the morning sun, the sweet mountain breeze and blue skies were enchanting. As I looked up from my book, the movie I watched weeks ago made me wonder if I had any gifts like “Matilda”. A small little girl dreaming of a magical world. Matilda was almost my age and she could move things. I must say like every little girl who watched the movie I tried staring at objects, hoping I could make it move. I remember having conversations with my trees. I knew I was making up all the conversations in my head. When I think of it now no conversation has made more sense to me than the ones I had with nature. I heard my pear tree tell me in the voice I always heard, “Not everyone has the same powers, yours may be something bigger”. I quickly

responded with a question “Can I control nature? Can I bring in thunder? Can I… And I heard the tree whisper “Try”. I closed my eyes wishing I could bring in the rain on a warm sunny day. As I opened my eyes there was absolutely nothing, Everything was still. I felt let down and slowly started climbing down the tree. I stood under the shade and thought to myself I will try one last time before I go in for lunch. I stood and asked nature to hear my voice and show me a sign. I kid you not, I felt the breeze get stronger and for a minute the warm sunny day had a gush of wind with leaves rustling and trees swaying. Call it what you may but this was what made me believe that I had Magic in me. Ever since then I have been connected to trees for the strength I draw from them. I listened to the quietness nature spoke and till date I think Nature pushed me on this path to do what I am good at.

I feel deeply when I see trees cut down. As I got back from school one day, my favorite plum tree was trimmed beyond recognition. When we had to renovate our house we had to chop down one of my peach trees as it was a danger. A sharp pain still shoots through my heart as I write this down 25years later. I felt every bit of pain my trees went through as they felt the blades. Every blow hit me deep. At an age where you don't want to look like a freak the only thing I did was cry to my parents. My mom tried to soothe me, hoping her little girl isn't going to be hurt with things that the world accepts to be normal.

Little did she know, her little girl would never be normal. She felt deep. And feeling deeply about something in this world will always be more of a curse than a gift. The gift comes with a price.

Love

Celestial Light