If you planted a tree for Christmas, you already know life is
circular, and your compassion sees into the future. Thank you and bless
you, and the Earth will bless you too.
The dead end, of course, is that during this celebration, the life of
a beautiful 7- to 15-year-old tree, at the flush of its exuberant youth,
is sacrificed. A cross is usually nailed to its trunk. By the millions
this is repeated. And then to see piles of cut and dead trees stacked now
for disposal, never sold, their lives utterly wasted, cut from our
atmospheric carbon drawdown. They lay in a vacant lot, embarrassing us
with their untimely deaths.
How hopeful we could all feel if we knew such trees were added to the
biosphere each and every year. Instead, we are faced with an
environmental catastrophe that we seem helpless to end or transform.
We need a paradigm upgrade with a reality check built in. This is the
only planet we've got and we need to learn to live in harmony with the
other life forms that inhabit this precious Mother Earth. This custom of
aborting the lives of millions upon millions of trees must somehow make
the leap of consciousness or conscience to one of planting a tree for
Christ. Please don't kill one for Him.
For those who have learned artificial trees are an easy, economical,
ethical, aesthetic solution, and have refused to cast their vote with the
dead tree custom, I say thank you, but plant a tree anyway, and the Earth
will thank you.
For those who say we do it for the children, what do we teach them in
this act? To you I say, when the tree is taken down, count the rings on
the end of the trunk with your child and explain that each ring is one
year, four seasons. Ten to 15 years of life and a grand future have been
sacrificed for this brief enjoyment of holiday decoration. Thank the tree
for giving its life for your chance to acquire the sacred mood. Children
can understand the truth, and will be grateful you've been honest. Then
with that child, plant a tree anyway. It's a bonding experience that the
child in both of you will never forget. It's still not too late to plant
a tree for Christmas.
Help this custom transform into a new paradigm that sees us living in
forest glade. For in this world, people living in the absence of trees
are living in distress. People living in the presence of trees are
literally inspired by the breath of life.
Each of us can add to or subtract from our urban forest and global
biosphere. Transforming this custom should be easy. Transforming this
custom will bring us joy and hope of an unfolding future.
GARY KNOWLTON
LA CRESCENTA
