A wonderful thing happened ...

After we lost 'Our special tree' the other week, (blog entry: Changing Landscapes) ... ... and I spoke to council and found out why this had happened ... ... I was left feeling the ongoing implications for the children. 

They would walk that path always missing something that had been of immense value to them.

I knew I had to do more, because how they were feeling mattered to me more than anything.

As I considered things, feeling for the children, their sense of loss and how they would wander the path and wonder and miss what we once had ... ... I knew that bottom line, they deserved the respect of knowing what had happened and why in a personal way and also the chance to share how they felt too.

I rang council back to talk again with Michael Rogers.  He is the  Coordinator of Arboriculture and Streetscapes for the City of Yarra ~ or in simple terms, the man who looks after the trees.

I aksed if he'd like to come and meet the children who I was earlier ringing on behalf of and Michael was happy to say yes.

So on wednesday, the whole gang including Agnes who is back (Yay!!), went down the bike path to meet with Michael ... ... Finn, Harvey, Omkara, Pepper, Agnes and I.

We filled Agnes in while we waited and once Michael arrived, without a seconds delay, the kids were very upfront. 'Why did you cut our tree down?' asked Pepper and Harvey before there was even time to say hello.

Their hearts came tumbling out of mouths, which were down around Michaels  knee caps, all at once and almost instantly.

... ... and they insisted.

Hm..mm..mm things might just be looking set up and like the kids have really been primed.

I assured Michael they hadn't been, which was true. 

I'd told the children was that I'd asked the man who knew about the trees getting cut down to come and meet with us so that we could find out from him what had happened ... and ... see if he wanted to know how special those trees were to us.

For a few awkward moments I felt like we were all suspended between the childrens big feelings and determination to know and Michael's good intent to help us understand.

The organice nature of being with children was leading the way.

We moved across to the stumps and all sat on them as I encouraged a bit more conversation. 

Michael told us that he actually has to look after 40,000 trees and maintain their well being.  The children listened and I helped them to understand a bit of the ecology of the environment through getting down to terms we knew and understood well. 

We talked about a bird eating a seed from the tree and then pooing near the drain nearby and how the seed could get washed in the river and land on a bank and grow another tree ... ... about how the best kind were the ones that belonged to the land, like gum trees.

They were all so patient and listened and got it ecologically ... ... yet

... ... hearts were still hurting and we needed to talk more with Michael about our loss and how it was to not know this was going to happen.

As we began to talk a little of this, Harvey burst into tears, looked straight into Michael's face and with immense passion and love said through his sobs, 'Don't you know that was my most favourite tree ever.'

In that one sentence of heartache, Harvey had expressed it all.

I felt so proud of my association with him and noticed all the kids relax a litte more deeply.

What mattered at our end had been said.

Michael seemed touched and more little-big things were said, like, with little fingers on top of the stumps where the trees once stood, 'Can we put some more here?'  'Can we put some back like this?' and I knew they were asking, 'Can we make our world come to life again as it was?'

... and that's when the wonderful thing happened.  All of a sudden we were talking with Michael about planting trees. 

Healing of our sore hearts happening.

Michael cared about how the chidlren felt and offered to come and get the stumps from the old trees up.  He also offered to arrange to bring six native gums and to plant them with us, right where our little Ash clump once stood. 

We were able to talk about what it meant to have gum trees there and about the native creatures that would benefit.  This really meant something to the children who've seen the possums and often play under the laughter of the kookaburra's.

We talked about why it had to be gums and not the same little clump of trees and talked a little about this being different and yet somehow good.

It was all simple, yet said.

Hearst lifted and entusiasm restored, Harvey had the last word.

'Hm.mm' he said quietly in consideration of all things... ... ...and then he lifted his head and said directly to Michael, 'Well, do you know you could come to my house and plant a tree there with me.'

Harvey with a heart for the pain of it all and a heart for the peace that come through in the end for in Harvey's world there is no place finer than home and no better thing you can do than invite someone there.  

What a mighty little man.

We will now walk that path with a restored sense of how our feelings about the clump of Ash trees mattered and made a difference.

Imagine a world where all could listen to the children and where adults could all take care of the loss of those 'little clumps of ash tree' in our lives.

Thank you Michael for caring to help us understand why those trees had to go and also for caring about how we felt about losing them.

As our time together came to an end in good feeling for all, Michael told us all about the old cork tree we climbed on and we floated cork in the run off from the convent garden near by.