This might sound a little crazy, but stay with me. (You know you like knowing if someone is actually crazier than yourself. Tell the truth 😉

I have a lot on my desk that needs doing right now (and some things for the easel, but that's later, when I return). 

An unplanned, quick trip to California meant doubling and tripling up on things that would usually be spread out.

So what did I do?

I went out and sat under my tree. Like any sane person with a ton of work yet to do would.

And when I say 'my tree', it's not just because it's in my yard
It's a tree that feels like….

It knows me
Has my back
And lets me know in my bones that everything, will indeed, be alright.
My tree.

Confession: It's not my first tree. I have a thing for trees that I didn't really know I had. Until I did.

When I was in Provence there was a giant sycamore outside the farmhouse that I swear got me through all the uncertain moments of creating a course in France...see video at top of page ❤️

But back to me and the tree in my backyard. I sat for like ten minutes and found that I still felt a little nervous and troubled. So I sat a spell longer. And the longer I sat, the more peaceful I felt. I looked up some information on pine trees while sitting there. Snapped a few pics of its cones sparkling in the blue sky and returned to my desk.

And you know what happened? Ideas and decisions for what to do, how to do it, just fell in place. It was a 'done for you' kind of thing, as in 'the work is already completed and ready for you — you don't have to create or figure it out yourself.'

I know this, but so often I forget and must relearn it. 

Answers arrive in the pause, in the moments of sitting under a tree, letting feet touch the grass, letting go of trying to control.

If you find yourself struggling, searching for a solution, or simply some peace… I can highly recommend tree sitting. (And it doesn't have to be in your yard. It can be in a borrowed place. Grab a chair or a blanket and absorb all that peace, strength and love that trees emit. I can attest to its uncanny power of righting one's boat.

And here's a little romance about pine trees that I discovered and it just lit me up…

The oldest known bristlecone pine, nicknamed Methuselah, grows in California's White Mountains. At over 4,800 years old, it predates the pyramids of Egypt. Their cones open only under the right conditions—sometimes even requiring fire to release their seeds—reminding us that renewal often follows trial. Each cone carries the tree's story of survival, holding pollen and seed within resin that can glisten like amber tears.

Small wonder that often times I feel like the trees know ever so much more than me. They've been around awhile!

Your tree-loving buddy,

Dreama

P.S. What do you do when you feel a little frazzled or overwhelmed by life? I would love to know. Share in the comments below.