Community, Blessings, and Generosity

About a month ago I received an email from my friend Jeanne with a link to 20 books about trees. The NPR recommended books honored Arbor Day.  I celebrated the holiday as a youngster at Polandi, the one room school, about two miles from our family farm. Under the direction of our teacher, Ms. Falkowski, we planted a tree near the school. A small class jar with my name and the names of my fellow classmates was buried with the tree. The jar full of names represented our shared connections as a community.

I plan on reading one of the books on the NPR list and learn more about how trees support and communicate with each other. In other words, trees are communities rather than solitary beings. A book by Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, is intriguing. In "The Mother Tree", Simard writes about how trees in a forest are linked to each other through older trees, she calls a "mother" or "hub" tree. Seedlings link into the network of the old trees and benefit from shared resources. Furthermore, the old trees, according to Simard, " pass a little bit of carbon and nutrients and water to the little seedlings, at crucial times in their lives, that actually help them survive." Here's the link to the NPR list 

Here's a picture of the canopy of a huge old tree that toppled over in a storm a few years ago. The once soaring canopy is close to the ground and within an easy touch. The old tree lies horizontally with its massive trunk just above the water line of Lake Wingra. Some of outer roots of the old timer are exposed but many are encapsulated into a large vertical ball of soil that is at least 5 feet tall .  

What amazes me is that the tree is still alive and producing seeds. Maybe this is one of Simard's "mother" trees that keeps on supporting its community despite being injured. The tree is a lesson for me: keep on contributing despite the challenges of aging. 

Rituals and ceremonies are important community builders. Our church, First Unitarian Society, held the annual Flower Communion on Sunday, May 19th. Originally created in 1923 by Unitarian minister Norbert Čapek of Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Flower Ceremony was introduced to the United States by Rev. Mája Čapek, Norbert's widow in 1940. 

  

In this ceremony, everyone brings a flower and places it in a shared vase. The congregation and minister bless the flowers, and they're redistributed. Each person takes home a different flower than the one they brought. Bringing and exchanging flowers increased my sense of belonging to FUS while affirming that each of us is unique, and yet together our diversity benefits FUS and our society. 

On May 11th,  I walked across the street for the 8 o'clock blessing of  Lake Wingra. The ceremony is also Wingra Boats' season opener. Thomas Redbird and his family led the ceremony which included the Little Thunder Singers. 

The Redbird Family are members of the Water Spirit Clan of the Ho-Chunk Nation. The day was already warm with a blue clear sky. In his opening remarks, Thomas commented that on a day like we were having, water spirits come out of the lake to play on the beaches and you can see them. 

 Thomas led us in a tobacco ceremony and conducted a lake blessing to honor and practice respect for the natural world. Tobacco, for the Ho-Chunk, has sacred qualities. I lined up with other members of the audience and slowly approached Thomas. With my left hand I took a pinch of tobacco from Thomas' extended left hand and put my offering into a bowl held by another man. After everybody made an offering, the two men took the bowl to the end of the pier and scattered the tobacco into the lake while offering a blessing. We remained in respectful silence. The ceremony ended with the Little Thunders Singers singing about friendship to the beat of the ceremonial drum. 

The blessing of the Lake Wingra reminds us that our communities extend into and are part of the natural world. Joy Harjo's  poem "Remember", stresses this point. Joy Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke Nation and a poet, musician, and playwright.

Remember 

Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.

On May 18th, the spirit of community, blessings, and generosity  continued as 13 volunteers plus Ann and I tended Prospect Gardens. Volunteers, some for the first time, gave of their time and without expecting anything in return. According to Buddha's teaching, generosity freely given without expecting a return is the highest form of generosity; earning much merit and a lot of good karma.

Pictured ( starting on the left, bottom row) are Peggy, a first timer, and Madeline, a West High Leo Club member and a returnee. Bruce is sitting on the third step and he is a newbie. Behind Bruce is Gregory, a veteran volunteer and to his left is Meg, another first timer. Sitting next to Meg is Laura who has volunteered since the start of Prospect Gardens. Top row is me and next to me is Gaon and then Rajeev. Gaon and Rajeev are West High Leo Club members and are faithful returnees. 

Coming later were Ann N., Cindy, Jim, Alice, and Sheila. Cindy recently moved to Madison from Nashville and is a first time volunteer. Ann N., Jim, Alice and Sheila are veteran volunteers. Ann B., my wife took the picture. She once again provided the treat and made sure we took a break. I have a tendency to forget about time as I get engrossed with the task at hand.

I extend a hearty "thanks" to you all. Blessings to you. You all will be welcomed upon your return.

Bruce, Gaon, and Rajeev share some moments during a break. Thank you Bruce for offering to return and trim back that one bush planted 15 years ago when the Gardens were started. Its been overdue for a trim. 

Gaon and Rajeev... take note that the area with day lilies you two so diligently worked on has been replanted. A few days after the work session, Percy, another veteran volunteer, and I replanted the area with a variety of native plants that Percy provided. Thank you very much  Percy. 

Cindy, Shelia, and Alice weeding the raspberry patch and preparing it for mulching. Cindy and her husband are busy revitalizing the flower beds of their recently purchased home. 

Shelia has a wonderful flower garden in the space between the sidewalk in front of her house and the street. Sheila came with a clump of  bee balm for the Garden-- thanks a lot.

Meg, Madeline, and Peggy working on the ever challenging and persistent Bishops Weed. Unfortunately the Gardens have an abundance of Bishops Weed. At least it provides ground cover. I'm trying to be positive.

Pulling Bishops Weed keeps it from seeding. We need a longer term approach. Percy mentioned putting in native plants that can out compete Bishops Weed. 

Gregory caught in the action of weeding. That's quite an handful!

I couldn't resist including this being who greeted me on a visit to the Gardens after our work session. She/he appeared walking softly (as only cats can do) through a patch of plants, sauntered onto the steps, laid down in front of me, and insisted on a belly rub. The result was a relaxed cat and for me a reminder to pause and savor the moment. 

Here's three plants that grace the Gardens as spring transitions into summer. The plants are at their peak. 

A native columbine that continues to propagate itself. Last week I transplanted a columbine from Giri's front yard. His yard has many splendid columbine. Giri offered one as an experiment. A Google search revealed transplanting columbine is risky and seeding is a much better method. Thanks Giri for the offering and for potting up the plant. 

The spiderwort, easy to grow, always returns in the spring, and is pleasant to the eye.  A near perfect plant.

I realize that the daisy is an aggressive plant and is considered by many as an invasive. So far the daisies, you could say, are behaving themselves while adding a feeling of lightness to Prospect Gardens. Plus I like the way they sway in the wind.

The summer solstice is approaching and Memorial Day has  officially marked the start of  the season. Summer with all its potential blessings await. In the spirit of community, I share this poem by Ronald Wallace, Emeritus Professor of Poetry, UW Madison.

 Prayer for Flowers 

Show me the disguises of coral root 

That I may go unnoticed among enemies.

the tenacity of columbine

that might thrive in the unlikely place.

Teach me to climb higher than envy,

to trust my own colorful seasons. 

Let the wind move me; let me keep my roots.

Like a pitcher plant, let me store up rain against

the dry season, surviving with patience 

whatever comes along. 

Show me the wind's song through lupine

that my blue days may be filled with music.

Teach me the persistent delicacy of glacier lilies

that I might endure winter's cold, heavy foot. 

And, at the end time, 

neither stiff-lipped nor trembling, 

let me go up, like bear grass, 

in a puff of smoke.

Alleluia

May it be so

Amen

Shalom

salam alaykum (Islam: Peace be upon you)

Hatak (Ho-Chunk: Peace)