Thoughts

I finally got a chance to get a clipping of a persimmon tree from my friend, Donald’s backyard. I hadn’t been there for almost a month when it was just done bearing fruits. Now the tree was completely bare. Surprisingly, the branches were so high that I could barely reach one to clip. Donald moved out a few weeks ago, and there was no objects I can stand on. I figured I’d just take one to see if I can get it propagated, which I’m not so confident about as I don’t consider myself to have a green thumb.

So I had a fairly relaxing time in the mountains through the holidays and now back in the big city. I came back to LA to work on January 2 even though I’m “supposed to be” on New Year’s celebration until the 3rd with my Japanese tradition. I came back willingly on the 2nd because I was being of service to my fellow Dharma teacher who is buying a property. And the temptation is to get busy right away. It is that familiar grasping mind that wants more of whatever my mind thinks I need.

As the year draws closer to the end, it is time to pause and reflect, right?  It’s been so hectic – well, it seems that’s a given and increasingly so at any time of the year.  But I do feel like the last month or so was just so busy and stressful.  I really had to make myself stop from running around by Christmas so I can finally pause and reflect.

Here’s another story about a tree. Recently someone I know in the neighborhood, Donald, sold the house that he grew up in. This was a house in the family for almost 5 decades. The first time I met him while I was taking a walk, he took me to his back yard. When I saw the persimmon tree with so many fruits hanging from its branches, I exclaimed, “Wow, the persimmons” as it reminded me of the one I had in my childhood home. He texted me last week and told me to come by because he saved some persimmons for me from the tree in his backyard.

To be more accurate, it was taken down by the forest service because it was dying for some time. This is the Ponderosa Pine that some of us friends in the mountains estimate to be somewhere between 200 to 300 years old. It was probably 40~50 feet tall. More than 6-foot in diameter at the bottom. I’ve been visiting this tree as long as we’ve had our mountain house for the last 14 years. I’d often talk to it and ask for help. It was just comforting to look up at this tree and know it’s been standing there way, way, way before this area was developed into a little mountain community for us humans. It’s awe-inspiring to know it must have seen all the changes in climate, vegetations around as well.

We’ve had quite a weather for the last week or so. While I’m grateful for the rain and snow that provides the much needed water for our thirsty earth, I’m also aware of the perils that this weather, not just around us, but all over the country and the world, brings.