7/26/2017 0 Comments The Ceibo TreeThe ceibo tree (pronounced "say-bo") is believed in ancient cultures to be a sacred tree. The Mayan culture believed that a single, great ceibo tree was a symbol of the universe, offering a connection between the underworld, the heavens and the land of the living. They felt the tree offered them a connection for their souls to the departed. Many Mayan tribes would build their cities around the tree as a symbol of life to their people. It met many practical needs as well. They grow near water sources, offer enormous shade canopies and have medicinal properties.
All this I learned after meeting this beautiful tree but I knew from the moment I saw her that she was extraordinary. I had been on a short walk away from the family and turned down a narrow, curved path that opened up in front of her. My personification of her is not an accident. It is impossible to deny this tree a soul. It is not easy to explain except to say that I was breathless in her presence. Her sheer size was staggering. But it was more than that. I felt she was looking at me. She was certainly stunning with her moss covered trunk and powerful roots diving into and up out of the ground across the grass, along the creek bank and around the garden. Her branches climbing, curving and shooting into the sky with such personality, almost as if she was playing a game with my eyes. She seemed to be moving yet I knew she was standing still. She was magical. I slowly approached her trunk - half imagining her huge limb lunging down and picking me up to get a closer look - Harry Potter style. My hand reached for her. My knees bent and I lowered to be at eye level with this part of her trunk that I was going to touch. My hand rested on her and I realized I was holding my breath. I exhaled and was overcome with a feeling that this great tree was a mother like me. She had spent her life trying to do the best she could for those around her - sometimes failing greatly but always hanging on, always trying, always reaching towards the light.
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aboutWelcome to my blog Photos + Footnotes. I am Tyler Cunningham and I love taking pictures. It is the best way I know how to express myself and my view of the world. It's when I'm behind the camera that I'm most comfortable. I see colors and details, I observe connections between people. I see joy and pain, abundance and poverty. I am my least judgmental behind the lens, simply seeing and recording. It is how I process the abundance of information the world throws at me. ArchivesCategories |
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