To Be One With The Trees: How nature can remind us of our humanity
As yet another black life is taken for the world to sadly see, the streets hear the rumbling noises of the military as worldwide protests and riots for George Floyd and the countless black people that have been victims of racial injustice take place.
…yeah that’s a lot to take in.
In times of discord and disarray, where people feel that we as a global community are more broken than we are connected, I call upon myself and others to look in the direction of hope and solidarity. I’ve started pondering on the ways in which the Earth can inspire us to keep in touch with one another and gain lessons to stay rooted and resilient. In addition to staying educated about the black experience, learning about how white privilege is rooted in our “American” system, and taking the precautions needed to keep each other safe throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, I recommend that we also look out into nature.
“WHY?”
I”m glad you asked.
A forest is made up of many different types of trees. To me, this is a reminder that our diversity of race can be unifying. Yes, there are some trees that try to outstretch others and reach for the sky, but generally speaking, trees give each other room to “breathe-” a gift that seems to cost the black community their lives.
I am sharing 3 important lessons that we can learn about how trees stay connected, stay grounded, and stay giving so that we as humans can learn to be as flourishing as our forests.
Lesson 1: Stay Connected
Be it 6 feet away or 30 ft away, trees stay connected through the “wood wide web,” a large network of mycelium (a group of tiny white threads that tack on to the tips of tree roots). It’s these mycelia that help transport sugars and nutrients from one tree to another. Trees also continue to send nutrients to their loved ones even when they’ve been reduced to stumps.
Source: lifecoachcode.com
Trees are teaching us that we don’t have to be physically next to each other to send love and consolation. Whether we are out on the streets protesting against white supremacy and for human rights, or we do so through our large network (the internet), we can listen, be heard, and support one another even when our loved ones in society are no longer with us. Trees don’t stay silent and stop sending love when their family has been cut down, so why should we stay silent and disconnected when black people are having their lives cut short by an oppressive system?
Lesson 2: Stay Grounded
One of the reasons I find trees to be beautiful is because they are resilient! Trees are deeply rooted to the earth, giving them the strength to weather many storms! It is this closeness to the earth that gives them the strength to stand tall and be there for one another.
This is a reminder for myself and others that we can strengthen our sense of human connection by digging deep into what we have in common. What is our common ground? What are our similarities? This doesn’t mean that we don’t discuss our differences, but acknowledging them and realizing that we can be united when our hearts and minds reach an understanding. We can help each other grow once we recognize the humanity in black people and in people of color instead of letting dehumanizing rhetoric cut us at the root.
Lesson 3: Stay Charitable
Trees have multiple branches that allow other plants and animals to benefit from them. Trees give back in more ways than one and we can too!
Taking after our fellow tree friends by reaching out to help our global community is a great way to give back to those in need (particularly black people)!
Let’s support black people by using our time and money to make sure that the livelihood of black people is no longer jeopardized by the racist system put in place.
Donate to fundraisers that support black people. If their loved ones are still alive and are in need of assistance to cover funeral service funds or need help paying for their children who are now parentless to live a sustainable life – support that!
We can also be charitable with our time and vote locally and when the presidential elections come through this fall. Sign petitions, protest, support black-owned businesses near and afar, listen, and learn!
By taking these steps we can move closer towards letting black mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and black LGBTQ+ community stay in their homes, enjoy home-cooked meals, and embrace their God-given right to live instead of letting them be oppressed by those in power, let alone pushed into the monster that is our U.S. prison system.
In order for us to flourish like the forests, we must stay connected to one another and build empathy. Silence is oppression and cannot be a place to stand in. We must stand for justice! Let us stay grounded and learn about our similarities so that we can work through our differences. There is a lot of rhetoric that dehumanizes black people and gives the impression that they are nothing but their “criminal record.” Squash that by finding our common ground and building off of our innate humanity.
Let us give back with our time and money to support black people in this time of need. Let us be there for our black community and remind our global society that their lives truly matter.
Amath Diouf is a Muslim, Black, Senegalese, French American who aspires to be socially and environmentally conscious and work towards self-care and world-care insha Allah (God Willing)! He promote stewardship and health & wellness by encouraging himself and others to explore ourselves and the great outdoors. By finding ways to strengthen our inner and outward connections, he hope for us to all be better stewards on Earth.
