The Man Who Planted Trees
Illustration by Harry Brockway © Genesis+Art
Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota
A kind and generous artist friend sent me a book that he said I must read. I have read and re-read this story many times and continue to find nuggets of inspiration and truth. The Man Who Planted Trees, a short story by French author Jean Giono, is a timeless eco-fable about what one person can do to restore the earth. The hero of the story, Elzéard Bouffier, spent his life planting one hundred acorns a day in a desolate, barren section of Provence in the south of France. The tree planter plays a small role in the transformation of a forest. He’s concerned only about his part as the planter of good seeds and leaves the results and the seeds he has planted to time. The result was a total transformation of the landscape – one filled with the scent of flowers, the songs of birds, and fresh, flowing water. He changes the future for so many and shines a light of hope.
We each have a role in transforming our earth home and to sustain all life. Richard Rohr writes, “We especially need to hear the creatures of Earth before it is too late, before their voices are stilled forever through extinction occurring at such a rapid rate. Once gone they will never be heard again. Extinction is forever. We have lost sight of the fact that these myriad creatures are revelations of the divine and inspirations to our spiritual life."
The story speaks to me about such things as perseverance, resilience and creatively doing our part to bring about positive change and hope. It also reminds me of the assuredness that I will not see most of my work come to fruition. Our own lives have taken us on an unknown journey and offered us courage to begin anew, to get comfortable with ambiguity, and to carry on in uncertainty. In the midst of the opportunities and challenges, ambiguity has offered us a time of deep awareness and learning. We don’t simply want to go back to how things were before we began. It is not surprising to Peg and I that living a creative life comes to our minds and hearts over and over as a way to experience imagination and wonder.
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