Birthday Celebration of the Trees

 A few weeks ago, it was the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, which is like a modern Jewish Arbor Day or Earth Day.  Similar to Yom Kippur when we look at our relationships with other people and make amends; on Tu B’Shevat, we turn our attention towards Earth.  This holiday is a Sacred Opportunity for families (not just Jewish families) to look at the “foot-print” (measure of the impact human activities have on the environment) they are leaving and to start changing their daily habits so we all tread more lightly on this beautiful planet of ours.

As far as this holiday goes, all we really need to know about our relationship with Earth, we learn from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (one of my all-time favorite children’s books):

“I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees.  I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.  And I’m asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs-…

I’m the Lorax who speaks for the trees which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please.  But I’m also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits.

NOW… thanks to your hacking my trees to the gound, there’s not enough Truffula Fruit to go around”.

As the visionary story continues, the Lorax sends the Bar-ba-loots away because they can not find food to eat followed by the Swomme-Swans who can not sing because they have smog in their throats, followed by the Humming-Fish who can not hum for their gills are all gummed. The Lorax tells the disastrous story of how our greed and short-sightedness are polluting and destroying the Earth and all her creatures.   Thankfully, the story ends with a hopeful message about how we can make amends to Earth and conserve and protect our world:

“And all that the Lorax left here in this mess was a small pile of rocks, with one word…. “UNLESS”….

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not…

You’re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds

And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.

Plant a Truffula.  Treat it with care.

Give it clean water.  And feed it fresh air.

Grow a forest.  Protect it from axes that hack.

Then the Lorax and all of his friends

May come back.”

When we read The Lorax together as a family, we are inpsired by it's message to celebrate the miracles of Nature and take care of the Earth.  With younger children,a magical way to celebrate is to read the book and then go off into Nature and stumble across a small pile of  rocks, with one word…. “UNLESS”!  Obviously planted there by the parent before the walk, the child might come to believe in the Lorax or at least the wonders of Nature! For older kids, take the opportunity to discuss different ways you can protect the Earth & reduce, reuse and recycle. 

Another way to celebrate the trees is by sharing a meal that includes all kinds of fruits, nuts and seeds. I love choosing fruited recipes, going to the farmers market and then serving them all week. Try dressing your salad with oranges, grapefruit, kiwi and pomegrantes seeds. Add nuts, dried apicots, or dates to your rice.  Try an apricot or mango glaze on your chicken or fish.  Try exotic things & celebrate the trees. Before the meal, it's nice for kids to come up with their own blessing of thanking the trees for all of its gifts.

Finally, another way to celebrate trees is to plant something in honor of a loved one. This could be in memory of someone who has died or in celebration of someone's life. When our beloved dog, Sierra, died- we planted a huge pot of Lamb's Ear to remind us of her silkly, soft ears. The whole family also decorated the planter with special memories of her.  Whenever I am missing her, I go outside and "pet" the lambs ear and remember how special she was. Just think, if every year your family planted something in honor of someone you love, your garden would look beautiful and your outside space would have so many memories & stories of those you love! Kids might enjoy painting rocks with the person's name on it & place it near the planting. Then, you would also have momentos of their art work every year.

If we do this, maybe the Lorax and his friends will come back & live in our world!