One of the biggest and most magnificent pine trees on our property is dying and has to be cut down. It is close to major power lines, so the electric company will come and take it down. This is another victim of the terrible drought we have had in Texas, and I know it is minor compared to other losses, but for some reason it is making me very sad.
My horse is going to miss the tree, too, as it is the major source of shade in the front pasture where he spends the summer, provided there is a pasture.
I mentioned to a friend that I was really mourning the loss of this tree and felt rather silly about that fact. After all, it’s just a tree. “But it’s a living thing and it is dying,” he told me. “Of course there is reason to mourn.”
Then he reminded me that he is a Celt, and believes that we should honor and respect all things in nature.
Most of us when we think of a Celt get a mental picture of Mel Gibson as William Wallace in “Braveheart”. He was the epitome of the type of Celtic warriors who were feared for decades throughout the Roman Empire. They were mighty fighters, who charged naked into battles or were painted blue. They were noted for screaming like banshees and cutting off the heads of their enemies.
Hardly the type of person one would equate with an endearing love of the earth and water and all living things, but that is a major part of their religious beliefs. Much like the American Indian, the Celts honor those things and mourn the losses.
So with my friend’s permission, I will cry when that mighty tree comes down.
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I do hope you will come back on Wednesday to meet Morgan and make her feel at home.
I look forward to Morgan St. James’ visit to your blog on Wednesday.
Yes, I picture Mel Gibson.
I think it is lovely to mourn a tree. I mourned when my folks had to cut down the maple in our front yard. From my bed I would look into its leaves and see shapes and faces. That tree was my companion.
Thanks for stopping by Melissa. I, too, have fond memories of a tree in my backyard when I was growing up. I spent many a happy day up in the crook of that tree, reading. When we sold the house, the new owners insisted the tree be cut down because they did not want to deal with leaves on the roof. Some people…..