#48 Plant a tree

Posted by neil on Feb 3, 2014 in Blog | 0 comments

Recently I trudged across a field with boys in tow. Our destination was a little shoot of horse chestnut sprouting out of the ground and fenced rather grandly in the corner of a field at the foothills of the Clwydian Range. I’ve talked about ‘significant insignificance’ before at the neverendinglist and I guess this little shoot at first sight could fall into the latter of that contradictory combination. In reality though it signified much more.

I’ve been wanting to plant a tree for some time, but in all honesty I’ve been struggling to find a valid reason to do so. There is something symbolic about the process of planting a tree, sowing a seed, cultivating  the ground and nurturing growth as life branches out. The concept of a ‘tree of life’ has become sacred through the ages and intertwined with mythology, religion and philosophy. With the start of the New Year and the usual urge to make resolutions, it perhaps seems more appropriate to embrace the evolution from birth back to earth in my endeavours to ultimately leave behind a better version of myself when the theoretical milestone arrives in 2051!

I guess this one took on fresh impetus before Christmas with the arrival of my new daughter. A couple of weeks after, a casual family visit led to a short walk to the aforementioned horse chestnut behind a grandfather who had been proudly planting earlier in the week. A simple, yet meaningful gesture to mark the occasion and welcome a new addition into his family. As with most of the items on my list, I like to try and find a twist, or tangent as I tick them off! In researching this one, it seems that I am not alone in my desire to nurture new growth, with my homeland already having a scheme in place for all new additions to it’s ranks. Plant! is a Welsh Government initiative to celebrate the birth or adoption of every child in Wales by planting a tree, thus creating new woodlands for future generations. I like ethos of the scheme and in an age of deforestation and pillaging the earths resources it seems appropriate to celebrate life by generating life and watching it flourish.

So I’m looking forward to the certificate arriving through the letterbox detailing the location of our special little tree. After all, out of little acorns giant oak trees grow! I don’t know what sort of world to expect for my little girl as she too grows, but I do know that her little life has started on a firm footing with strong roots and I am going to enjoy watching her get bigger and stronger every day. Why not join me and plant your own tree!

The whole process has kinda got me thinking about my own tree of life and whilst always preferring to look forward in life, it might also be time to take a glance at the past and see the roots that have let me branch out from the family tree. #265 Compile a Family Tree added to the List!