Looking to kill time. Thinking of taking a nap but find a trail instead. Signs at the start saying, "Under Construction." Under Construction. Nature? Under Construction? How Silly! I follow what is inside, I am nature not a sign. Traveling ahead, starting to forget about the worries and troubles, the learning needed for me to succeed in the signed nation. It all escapes- to where? Then, even that notion leaves me. Not important. I start to take it in, feeling my family around me. More accepted than ever before. The tall ones, saplings- just beginning, old with many rings buried inside, some with kaleidoscope eyes peering out at me. The shy ones far in back. But the two I find more endearing are those who share the humanest of traits, vulverability.

The ones near,line the way, exposing their roots as far as they can. Saying, "This is what I am made of; This is me!" Loud and proud. They persist,"If you go any further, please understand, this is we, you & me." So trusting, exposing their source of life to a human like me.

This leads to my next friend...

The dead.Visibly so or dead within. The world, our world, has given them all they can take. Maybe they did not have the proper shelter from the others and the sun zapped their life. Prehaps of natural or unnatural caues. Truly, it does not matter what brought them down, just simply that they are down YET truer still, beauty is still there.

While their living life was more than they could bear, the life thereafter: freedom from the unbearable, came to them and they now have peace.They will no longer have to take part in the slow demise of themselves. They are, in the life thereafter, permitted to simply be. The dead still putting on the show, are not far behind on the path to peace. I say without uttering a sound, "Don't worry. Your time is near."  I am understood without making a sound, my family.

And BEYOND the simple word "beauty"..the trees, finally having peace, bloom into their next life. They will now provide shelter to others. What a great fulfillment they will recieve in their new life if in the past they were fallen because of the lack of this shelter! Nutritional source to the fungi growing from them. Seat, for the leaves resting from a never ending dance. It is sublime. All I can do is smile. How divine! There is still hope to be found..just go visit distant relatives!