The Last Fragipanni

Amidst the confusion and noise of the passing traffic, I felt a calm presence. My mood was low and I worrying about various people, places and things. In my internal fog, I walked, my gaze towards the grey cement beneath my feet. Suddenly, the calm presence urged me to look up.

In front of me I observed the last Fragipanni flower resting boldly on a bare grey branch, bold but forlorn. It's bleak honesty touched me as I walked by, it reflected myself, my sense of lonesomeness in a vast world that demanded me to perform, to contribute, to give, to be something in contrast to bareness and just being.

The exquisiteness of the white and yellow flower was a reminder of my own inner beauty and a sign of the impending winter. A fresh crisp breeze caressed my face as I contemplated how the Spirit of the Fragapanni tree might be feeling with only one bloom left after a long Mullumbimby Summer.

The first time I hugged a tree, I was sixteen. I remember it clearly. It was a sunny Winter Melbourne day. I wore my blue jeans and a long, black hippy coat. Sitting in the picturesque botanical gardens, I was feeling sad and confused about love...quite spontaneously, I hugged a nearby tree.  Sincerely I whispered to the tree; please help me, please comfort me. Immediately I felt a wave of pure, unadulterated love wash over me and in that special moment there were no words, just a feeling of unspoken compassion and understanding emanating from the tree. It felt so real, I didn't question it, I just felt grateful. As I walked away, I felt uplifted, reassured and revitalized.

Now, I am a closet tree hugger which I highly recommend!

My recent encounter with the last Fragipanni was a symbol and a reminder that I can be a light, that there is always beauty to highlight the grey, that there is contrast for a reason.

 Life is a palette of choices and experiences. We are the artists of our lives, creating, dismantling and creating again and again.

Trees do have a spirit, because they are alive, be nice to them and give them a hug, maybe they need one too!