The other day I read, “Go hug a tree”
And thought “That’s crazy hippy talk”.
But then I remembered 3rd grade when
I visited a tree on our playground every week

And wrote about my tree and
How it changed through seasons.
I loved that tree.
In junior high there was a tree in my back yard.
I climbed it all the time to find myself.

Because junior high was hard,
But my tree was always there,
And it never made fun of me.
And then I found the trees again in college,
Working at an Oregon camp
And hiking through the forest,
Enveloped in old, wise, peace.

There has always been something about trees,
So today I was outside and feeling sad.
And there was a tree,
Calm and kind and welcoming.
I hugged it, with its fresh bark and solid strength.

I swear it hugged me back.
Those hippies. They know.
Note: All of these pictures are taken in Ohio, except for the one of me walking through the forest, which was taken in northern California in the Redwood forest.
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Published by shellypruittjohnson
My name is Shelly Johnson, and I am a writer and philosopher with a Ph.D. in philosophy. I write about four basic truths which help us develop confidence and resilience. These truths are that we are worthy, capable, connected, and called to adventure.
View all posts by shellypruittjohnson
Yay for trees
🙂