Magnolia Moon

Tree #74 Southern magnolia (also tree #6)

It is not every day a tree is stupendous enough for mere humans to notice and elevate it to a point of conversation, even less often to feature it prominently in a sermon praising its awesome spiritual character. This tree captured the eye and the heart of Andy Andrews, Dean of St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Memphis.

Near dusk at E.H. Crump Park June 3, 2014. Celestial bodies are lining up.

Andy is a runner so he explores Memphis by foot. In his sermon he described the location of this tree as off of Crump Blvd. by the river. Susan and I had to go find this tree, so we drove to Crump and exited before crossing the bridge to Arkansas. That put us close to the river, but not quite there and we were not sure of the exact location. Our first guess took us down a narrow road that ran just to the edge of the bluff below the bridge. It was an entrance to a railroad yard and not intended for casual drivers exploring on their way home from work. We turned back and tried the next option that took us to an entrance to E.H. Crump Park. Two guys were working on a car near some run down apartments, not too promising a locale (close the the National Metal Museum). But the tree was there and we knew it had to be the tree by its size and dominant spot in the park.

Here is my excerpt from Andy's sermon that touched upon this tree.

"Its branches fold out so long upon the ground. It's perfect to climb, no matter how tall or short or round you are; and the leaves are waxy and they're filled with life and they shimmer almost, even when its raining. and then those big white blooms, those blossoms... such a fragrance, such a remembrance. It was setting there right by the river and I realized how much difficulty and how much tragedy and how many sunny days has this tree seen? And its still able to put out this great fragrance. Its part of that remembrance that there is always a rising a lifting!" (from Andy's June 1, 2014 sermon, for the whole podcast go here).

It is perfect for climbing.

...and its branches fold out so long upon the ground.

The branches are similar to another magnolia in my first post (tree #6).
My wife took this shot of a fading blossom.

the leaves are waxy, and then those big white blooms, those blossoms...

How much tragedy and how many sunny days has this tree seen?

The point Andy made so well is that nature and this tree as a paricular part of nature has the ability to buoy up our spirits and transfer some kind of well being and peace without even touching it. It is like a living cathedral that you can enter, your own personal Xanadu. My own experience like this is described in an earlier post (tree #5) where I stood in a rain of ginkgo leaves just absorbing some mystical transcendent peace for a few moments. 

Last fourth of July my wife and I went to Seattle for a visit. I had gone to college there and I talk about it often, about the real trees. Susan just did not get that until we went there. She was very taken by the effect the trees had on me, almost making me into another person, as if I was drawing some life force from the trees, auraucarias, European beeches, Deodar cedars. It was "Old Man Willow" acting in reverse.

I encourage you to find your tree, and then find your inner tree.