Love is all you need

I talked with the tree on Valentine’s Day. As I sat with my back against her trunk, I felt an overwhelming flood of love emanating from her. I felt peaceful, grateful, held. Then she said: All you need is love. I pondered this as I leaned against her, sheltered from the late summer breeze by her protective presence. I thought about all that is going on in the world right now and wondered how it would be if we all accepted that LOVE was all we needed.

Words painted on a sea wall, Pūtiki Bay, Waiheke Island

I imagined a world without division, without points of view, without enemies, without war, without threats of annexing, expulsion, invasion. It seemed unimaginable. And yet, here in the garden many species exist side by side. The tree alluded to this: see my companions, she said. I walked around the tree and saw the different plants growing up against her: those native to Aotearoa, the Karaka seedlings and the Puka tree; and those imported from far way, the bromeliads and agaves. All existing companionably side by side.

Of course, it is not always so benign. Our local volunteer group has spent many hours clearing invasive weeds and re-planting native shrubs and trees in areas of Waiheke where the “exotic” (nice sounding word for imported weeds!) plants have invaded and are strangling the natives struggling to see the light and survive. I guess the plant world isn’t perfect either, and plants that didn’t evolve together don’t always thrive together. I came back to the tree’s words, all you need is love.

I suddenly saw the value of human beings for the plant world. Yes, we brought the invasive species, but we could also clear them and allow the native plants to regenerate and thrive again. The tree said, yes I may have been a bit harsh when I said I don’t need you humans… I might not, but some other plants might, and I might too if I’m threatened. Also, you too are part of nature and I love you for that. But you can be evil and do bad things. When the natural world is disrupted by human intervention, then we need you to make it right again.

Now there’s a thought for Valentine’s Day – how can we expand our love and make the wrongs right again? Big ask. But not impossible. Perhaps it begins by holding a vision and doing what we can in our own little corner of the world. Using our power as humans to make right where we can. It might mean pulling up a few weeds and replanting native species. It might mean defending our founding treaties and constitutions, our laws and institutions. It might mean holding hope for a world where love is all we need.