Be like a tree
And stand firmly
Ground yourself
In the experience of life

As you extend your branches
Into the sky
And your roots
Into the ground

Know that you
Are the primordial link
Between Heaven
And Earth

Energy flows through you
From the wind
And the sun
And the rain

Stand tall and be proud
Like a Douglas Fir
Nature created you perfectly
Because she knows no other way

Be open
To any possibility
The way the buds of a fresh sapling
Open to the sun’s rays

Keep your skin hard
Like the bark of an oak
For you will be weathered
By life’s trials

Seasons will pass
You will begin to wither
Your body may collapse
But your soul will linger

To help revitalize
All things on this Earth
Sometimes one life must end
To give another birth