Wow, what a fantastic story! Thanks so much for sharing it. I really needed that (was very uplifting). How validating that you and your mother had tree communication experiences at the same beloved, family-gathering place! I can only imagine the strength of the trees in that area. And it's very special and synchronistic that each of you got to have one of your mom's "trees" to take into your home.

It makes such sense to me that trees DO love to be a part of our lives. There are a couple of trees that surround my house that send out strong messages to me. Well, all of my trees do really. But the one where the eye keeps appearing, that one has always shown me amazing things.

When my son was about 3 years old, and by then I knew he was developmentally delayed, I used to walk with him and whenever we would pass a certain tree he would become very excited and want to go see it. His expression was one of Can you believe how cool this is? It was a pine tree with lots of the green missing on one side so you could see all the bare branches inside. Maybe he wanted to climb it since it did have a climbable look to it. Or maybe he just recognized something special in the tree's spirit.

Two more stories came to mind where I have had deep emotions about trees...

One instance was when a gardener helping me get my yard back into shape after years of drought thought we should cut down the bushes along my back fence. They were probably 40 years old and when water was plentiful, they looked like a towering waterfall of deep emerald green. But after years with insufficient water, they were overgrown and scraggly. The gardener cut them down and when I saw them gone I felt punched in the stomach. It was the most horrible sight. And this might sound very strange, but for months I mourned them (still do to be honest and it's been 2 years). He kept poisoning the stumps so they wouldn't return. Each time he did this I felt boiling rage that I'd stifle. I told myself to get a grip and be rational about this, that the gardener knew what he was doing...right? And that this was for the best, right? During the day I would find myself with this unhappy feeling and one day I thought, what is it? What's bugging me? So I allowed myself to become still and let whatever was bothering me come to the surface. The first thing I thought/felt was dread. Then death...a murder...my emerald bushes! I had allowed them to be murdered. And I desperately missed them. It was a very real and awful feeling. I used to take all of my family shots out in front of those bushes (I see the synch now).

Another instance was similar. There was an old stand of huge eucalyptus trees across the road from my house. I took many a great spirit photo there and marvelled over their majesty. The trees were probably 100 years old. Then a developer bought the land. Fair enough. I was sad knowing some of the trees would go, but still, they were not to take out all of the trees, only certain pre-approved trees and that was some consolation. Then one day when driving home after a day out I sensed something was wrong. I could smell eucalyptus in the air. As I neared home I saw to my horror that all of the trees had been taken out (even the ones that were to be preserved)! I barely made it into my street and driveway before I broke down into sobs of utter grief. It was a murder scene to me, plain and simply.

Now who sounds like a crazy tree-hugger?