I was running through the forest thinking that I could get there faster if I took the shortcut. It wasn’t working. The brush and twigs from the trees had created a soft cushion but a difficult walkway. My shoes weren’t meant for this nor were my feet. I thought, “I’ll just keep moving. Maybe it won’t matter.” I wasn’t sure it would make any difference anyway.

I had just been at a meeting with the members of an elite group of people. Well, they thought they were elite. The rest of us were just trying to participate. We weren’t successful. No one would let us speak. Even when we raised our hands to try to attract attention so we might be able to say something, it didn’t help. The eyes would simply move on by. After awhile, we just gave up. And, listened. To all the rhetoric. Funny how people think they are important and think what they have to say just might have meaning. Neither was true. They weren’t important and they definitely did not have anything to say that was worth hearing.

Suddenly, I felt myself falling forward. It didn’t take long to land on the soft cushion created by the forest. It didn’t hurt. I just sort of bounced.

I laid there for a few seconds trying to figure out if I was hurt. But, I wasn’t. Before I could get up, the sound was there. The sound. The sound was unusual and not what I was expecting. Well, really, I wasn’t expecting sound at all. I was expecting to pick myself up from the ground and get moving. It didn’t happen. I laid there and listened. What was the sound?? It didn’t sound like a human voice. It sounded more, hm, celestial, like what I imagine an angel would sound like, if angels were to speak. I sat up and listened.

The sound was coming from just beyond the bend. I needed to see what was causing the sound so I proceeded to get up. As I walked toward the sound, I didn’t hear any other sound. No birds, no small creatures, no wind. Just the unusual sound that was pulling me forward.

And, then, I saw it. The big, beautiful, unusual, green and full…tree. Yes, a tree. The sound was definitely coming from this large tree. Now, nothing made sense. Trees don’t make celestial sounds, maybe terrestrial, but definitely not celestial. I had to find the source of the sound.

I walked over to the tree and stared for a few minutes. Nothing. The sound had stopped. So, I walked around the tree looking for the source of the sound. Nothing. I stopped, trying to think of what to do.

Then, I touched the tree. I put my hand very gently on the trunk of this very large tree. I felt it. I felt the sound but I couldn’t hear it. This was really getting weird. Suddenly, I felt the tree ask me to speak. Yes, I felt it. So, I did, and here is what I felt I had to say:

Oh, tree of life so beautiful, and strong
Wave your branches and sing along
Help us to be kind, and always belong
To the many who insist on singing your song

I felt a sense of urgency in that short interlude with this beautiful tree. It was as if the tree were listening to me, to my heart. Then, I knew that we are not alone. I knew we were all interconnected. I was connected to this tree. It could hear me! The longer I held my hand on the tree, the stronger I felt. So…much…energy. The spiritual energy filled my soul. I felt renewed.

As I moved away from the tree, I began to feel a deep sense of peace, knowing I could come back anytime to renew my inner self. Yes, I spoke and the tree listened.

Giant Springs