Tree plantation is one of my favourite activity towards environment protection. All my friends and relatives know about it and that's why my classmates guessed that I would be happy to have a plant as gift from Secret Santa.

We had a Christmas celebration in our class. Each of us had secret Santa but were not aware who is whose Secret Santa. All of us were supposed to write our desired/wished  gift. I was away for Eco Carnival that day so all my friends thought , discussed together and wrote "Plant" as my wish gift on my behalf. When I returned to class ,  I got a small plant as Christmas gift from my secret Santa. I was so happy to see it . I love plants and want to be surrounded by them all the time.

Whenever I go to India (my grandparents' place) for vacation, I go to nursery and buy a plant of my choice and plant it . By now I have a garden of all these plants that I have planted for last few years. I water them regularly , test their soil , at times bring better manure and fertilisers to enrich them. I get immense pleasure in caring for these plants , in sitting in my garden and in seeing them grow. In my absence my grandfather looks after them very sincerely and keeps updating me whenever we talk on phone.

If we think in depth , trees are symbolic of many things and they teach us many lessons .  If we can become quiet and attentive enough, we realize that trees can tell us many stories of wisdom and awareness that apply to our everyday lives like:

Make strong foundation : Trees grow where they are planted and root themselves firmly to the ground they live in. So they tell us  to grow & maintain strong roots for ourselves by knowing who we are, where we come from and where we want to go so that we can experience each moment fully .Having strong roots also means staying grounded, clear and focused.

Trees access nutrients from the ground through their roots, and transport them through the core of the tree to grow strong branches and beautiful leaves. By developing our self awareness and inner strength, we too can apply ourselves to the many things that we love and make ourselves available to the people we love. Focus on your inner growth first to develop strong roots that allow your branches and leaves to unfurl, and thus your passions and dreams to become reality.

Accept your place in time and community: Trees live where they are for tens, hundreds and sometimes even thousands of years. They accept the things they cannot change, and continuously work to help themselves and those around them thrive. The nature of trees is to collaborate with those around them to co-create an environment that is beneficial for all its creatures, as they are inherently aware of the interconnectedness of everything. This is a very large and honorable concept, but can be boiled down to the understanding that by helping others, we are essentially helping ourselves, and thus creating community.

Learn from your past : We can read a lot about the past through trees weather patterns, climate change, and historical events. Scientists have developed methods for physically reading trees by measuring the rings that appear on the inside of a tree. The number of rings indicates the age of the tree, while the width and color of the rings tell us about the temperatures and availability of water in certain years. What has happened in your past, and how is it informing your current level of self-awareness? Like a tree, you don?t need to hold on to the past, but understanding it will help you prepare for future droughts, heat spells and tough times.

Nothing is wasted :For trees (and all of nature, really) waste does not exist. Everything has a purpose debris and dead plants become soil for new seeds to sprout on, new plants become food for another creature that fertilizes other plants. Essentially, there is nothing new, because nothing is ever thrown away. If we realize that we are also made out of materials from those that  came before us, and our thoughts are merely floating on the veil of consciousness, perhaps our appreciation for this life and its wonders will grow.

You?re stronger than you think you are :Wild storms and extreme weather conditions can make trees dance wildly, and although some do not survive, others stand the test time and time again. Strength can come in many forms, and we all have the innate ability to use it if that?s what we desire.

Be yourself :A tree is a tree, and each species gracefully accepts its characteristics and qualities. Have the courage to ask yourself who you really are, and then surrender to it. Don?t waste your time, or anyone?s, trying to be something you are not. When in doubt, or feeling lost, connect yourself physically to the earth by walking on it barefoot, touching it with your bare hands, or the underrated cliche of hugging a tree, and you may find answers or at least some solace.