NATURE
How The Alastonia Trees Became My Friends
Trees give us love and are our faithful friends
Do you see this beautiful tree?
It is full of flowers. So many flowers!
How many people observe them?
I see people passing by and walking in my vicinity and some of them do not even see the flowers.
The tree makes us smile.
Do we smile? Some of us do smile when we see the tree.
I am also guilty. When the flowers are there I enjoy them so much. When they go away in 2 month's time. I also forget about them.
I do not remember the beauty of the flowers and the pleasure they give me every year. However, the trees remain with me the whole year through and inspire me to go on continuing their relationship with me.
Alstonia flowers remind me each year that they are my friends and I cannot ignore them. They fill my nostrils with their perfume.
How did Alastonia trees become my friends?
Early this morning, the sun was peeping out. I could see it distinctly from my window. My bedroom faces the northeast so I can see the rising sun.
I got up, it was 5 AM.
I walked to the other side of my house. I opened the sliding door of my living room a little and I was overpowered by the strong scent coming from the flowers of the tree.
It was just in front of my house and the higher branches of the tree almost touched the balcony waving a good morning with a light breeze.
I could not help but say good morning to the trees and salute them for reasons unknown to me.
My thoughts went back to 30 years when we constructed this house. This was made into three apartments. We gave the ground-level -floor to the person whose daughters suffered from muscle sclerosis and decided to go up one level.
I distinctly remember how we made a ceremony of planting two little baby trees with three brave girls with their life deteriorating sickness, their brother and sister-in-law and their two kids, and the owner himself who was a widower. Added to their family were my husband, three sons, and me.
We said a prayer of gratefulness that we were shifting to the house and planting the saplings of two Alastonia trees.
These trees were no longer babies. They are huge strong trees. They are now 30 years old They have had a relationship with me and have stood the test of time by becoming my friends.
When I see the trees I remember the famous quote about old majestic trees
“The green oak and cedar — the dark pine, the yellow and silvery-barked willow — each majestic old tree; hath its own peculiar tone and whisper for thine ear.”
― Elizabeth J. Eames
Children have gone from the house. All the girls with muscle sclerosis passed away.
The children downstairs sold their portion of the house at the ground level but Alastonias remains steady and strong with me.
The trees have become my friend whispering in my ear. each of them says Do not reject me. Do not forget me I give you my lifelong friendship.
October brings cheer to Delhi. It is the month that changes the summer and with a very short Autumn during the festive season. There is a change in the air.
There is a distinctly strong perfumed sweet smell. It is from the flowers of the Alastonia. that are small greenish-white, growing in tight clusters that stay until December. They look like fine delicate embroidery. They are amazing.
They say good morning to me and for these two months, I do my standing yoga poses on my balcony smelling the strong perfume of the flowers. I feel that these flowers are all over me.
They remind me that they are my friends and I should not forget them.
Everyone has left me and gone but they remain faithful to me. They continue to be my friends.
They inspire me and tell me to let the children fly away.
We are there with you. The flowers to behold during the season are extremely beautiful. They smile and make my day.
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
— Kahlil Gibran
I recently read Pene Hodge where she wrote about how senior citizens were being attacked by people and lamented about the morals of people in attacking the vulnerable of the society.
Her trip to Canada and the amazing Rockies. Canada is endowed with a lot of natural beauty. Every picture is a delight.
She wrote such an inspirational article that there is age is not a criterion to look for a job. She wants to keep herself busy by doing something meaningful. I admire her for discussing her experiences.
©Dr. Preeti Singh, 2022.
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