This autumn has been gorgeous.  The trees are brilliant in a variety of colors.  They make me look up.  They make me stop to really look.

Summer was dry, so it is surprising that our autumn is especially colorful.  I like to think that Mother Nature is giving us an art show during this pandemic year, to remind us that nature and trees are a beautiful thing, and to tell us to look.

Back to trees.

Trees represent the circle of life in ways that we can understand- children, too.  They are the visual to life and death, growing, survival, thriving, and new birth.  Trees are a home for animals.  They are a playground and shelter for everyone.  The list is a long one.  When I use the word ‘grounded’, trees are the benchmark.

Many children’s books have been written about trees.  One book that I read aloud every year…