The tree of life

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There is a tree outside our window. Today morning I counted 6 different species of birds on that tree. There is a large bee hive on that tree too. And all this in the midst of Delhi, an urban concrete jungle. One can spot peacocks and peahens sitting in these trees, finding refuge from the noon tide heat. 

Yesterday there was a wind, storm and rain. The tree was a haven to many of these birds in the midst of this winds and rain. These birds were protected, preserved and provided for by the foliage and the branches. A beautiful sight to see. 

Some of these trees might have taken years to grow. To reach such height and breadth and become a refuge to so many birds, is a refreshing sight to see. Some time in the past, someone had the dream to plant a small sapling or put a seed and nurture it. A few decades down the line, it has become a tree that is life giving. 


Not only life giving by the size and strength, but the sheer beauty too. Beauty of the different hues of green, beauty of the hardened bark and trunk which has withstood many a storms. Beauty of the support systems the tree has developed to stand tall. The roots, entangled with other trees to give it stability, the deep penetration into the ground for water etc..

A visionaries dream to plant something in the past, and today we and our generation is enjoying the fruits of his or her dream! 

There is a tree in the African deserts called Baobab. Over time, the Baobab has adapted to its environment. It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid. This is how it became known as "The Tree of Life”. And many birds build its nest on it so that it can draw water and drink when there is no water around.


I am reminded of the mustard tree story from the good book. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds but when it is  grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.” 


This is what we need today, human Baobabs and Mustard trees! 




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