We have a huge tree in our garden, and when we moved in became very fond of it as throughout the Summer it keeps 90% of our garden in the shade. Then on our first Autumn, lorikeets and cockatoos (who are renowned for being destructive for the fun of it) flocked to the tree and started clipping off all the smaller foliage and branches with their beaks. It literally rained leaves and little buds. After the first day of doing this, the backyard was ankle deep in greenery. We were devastated. What were they all up to? They didn’t appear to be actually eating anything, just nipping a branch and throwing it to the ground.
On the second day, the onslaught started early in the morning, with so many of them up there, systematically stripping the tree. We googled it, we consulted our gardener (he said cockatoos can just be assholes!), and we fretted. Arran considered putting a hose up the tree to stop them, but they were relentless anyway. By the afternoon of the third day, the greenery after being cleared the evening before by us was now mid-calf deep.
And then on the fourth day which was cloudy and gloomy and represented our mood, saw all the birds disappear and all we had remaining was a completely bare tree. I was slightly shattered, the whole house that overlooks this tree and the garden looked completely different. And then the sun came out on day 5, and all of a sudden everything could be seen in a new light. The garden and house were flooded with natural light, needed in the cooling weather. Throughout Winter, we worried that the greenery wouldn’t grow back, so harsh was the trimming back. But sure enough, late Spring, the whole tree started coming back to life, stronger than ever, lusher than before. And for Summer we had beautiful shade. And the whole thing repeated this year. And we watched the birds work their magic over a few days, content that they were helping us out.
It was a reminder that nature knows, it always knows, and we need to do whatever we can to get in alignment with that. For me, that means meditation, eating consciously and with nourishment as much as I can, being kind, loving, and creating work I believe in. It also means accepting the seasonality of friendships, relationships, health, and work, (it can’t always be Summer!), and finding a flow that is like a river – endlessly patient and understanding it will all be right in the end, even if we are midstream and can’t see ahead of the bend in the river.
Sent with love,
Jac x