Connection

Every morning, around sunrise, I go out into our backyard to bless this house, the neighborhood and all the plants and animals. There is a particular tree, a large, old willow oak, next to our deck that assists me and continues the process. I always touch that tree, say good morning and thank it for assisting me. "Consider the Polynesians, who believe that everything physical ------ stone, wood, a flower ----- has a numinous quality; that each thing on Earth emanates an inherent spirit that glows from within" (Nepo).