giving-treeThe Giving Tree is an illustrated children’s story, written by Shel Silverstein that chronicles the relationship between a boy and a tree.  In the beginning, they’re playmates – the boy climbs the tree, swings on its branches and eats apples in its shade.  They both enjoy each other’s company very much.  But the boy grows a little bit older and starts to come around less often.  This saddens the tree.  When he eventually returns he’s grown up a bit and no longer wants to play.  Instead, he wants money to “buy things and have fun.”  The tree doesn’t have money, but she is happy to let the boy harvest her apples to sell in the city.  So he does, and disappears again.

When the boy returns years later, the tree is excited and anxious to play, but the boy is a grown man now and hasn’t the time or desire to.  He wants a house so that he can find a wife and have children and raise them.  The tree cannot give the boy a house so, instead, she offers him her branches.  He cuts them and disappears.  Again the tree is sad.  When the boy returns, he is middle aged, sad, and wanting a boat that he can sail away. The tree, with no boat to give, allows him to cut down her trunk to make one.  The boy does and sails away.

When he returns once again as a very old man, the tree tells the boy she’s nothing left to give him.  The old man now says he has no need for anything else.  He’s too tired to do anything but sit.  The tree offers him a seat on her stump.  He takes it, and the two become friends again.  And the tree is happy.

I have to admit that The Giving Tree is my favorite children’s book.  I like it so much that, at one time, I considered having it’s cover illustration tattooed on my arm.  If that’s not the ultimate testament to my enjoyment, then I don’t know what is.  Maybe if I put it on my forehead?

This story silently speaks volumes about the unconditional love that can exist in a one-sided relationship while warning those that take advantage of such a relationship of the harm they inadvertently do to those who provide for them.  Looking at this story through our green goggles, it’s only fitting that the two characters happen to be a human and a tree.

Think back to the different life stages that you’ve been through. What were some of the things that you really appreciated and what did you take for granted? Can you say that you truly appreciated anything when you were just a child?  Probably not, but then again, you were too young to really take advantage of a relationship.  What about when you were a teenager?  A young adult?  Maybe you’re middle aged or even elderly now.  What has changed throughout your life regarding what and who you truly appreciate and what and who you might have taken advantage of?  As we age and aspire to new and bigger challenges, we shift our attention from one priority to the next, even though the resources and relationships that support us might not change at all.

I don’t say this to make anyone feel bad.  We’ve all been guilty at some point in our lives of taking from one relationship to give to another.  What’s really important is that we’re able to recognize when we’re doing this and make an effort to rebalance our focus.  Life is tough and we’ll never get it perfect, but just by trying we’ll allow ourselves to build stronger, balanced relationships.

From a frugally green perspective, try to think about some of the ambitions that you’ve had, or some that you have now, and consider the potential impacts that you have on various natural resources and systems as you pursue them.  Then, use that knowledge to focus on finding new, creative ways to lessen that impact.  The idea here isn’t to feel guilty or stop pursuing your goals, it’s to be aware of how they affect other people and things and then to take action on their behalf.

A personal example I can give is simply writing this blog.  Since I started Frugally Green in April, 2009 I’ve spent considerably more time sitting in front of the computer reading, writing, researching, and designing than I ever would have without this website as motivation.  As a result, my computer is using up a lot more electricity than it was before.

Realizing this, I wanted to adopt a small change in my life that I could use to offset it.  The solution I came up with?  Drive my truck less on the weekends.  Weekends are errand and chore days for me.  I go around town picking up things I put off during the week, visit friends, and run out to the farmer’s markets that Jessie sells cupcakes at.  When I realized that most of the places I go don’t require me to carry much  and that I have a perfectly functional bike, the solution was obvious.

Now, when I run to the hardware store or out to the farmer’s market, I just hop on the ol’ two wheeler and pedal off.  I still have to use the truck to pick up large items now and again, but I have significantly cut my weekend driving down – more than enough to offset the extra computer use (and it doesn’t hurt that I now spend a good chunk of my weekends huddled over a keyboard thinking of witty parentheticals to make you chuckle).

The relationships that we create with people, places and things can sometimes lead to unsustainable practices.  Lots of times, we don’t even notice because we’ve become so consumed by our pursuits.  Remember that, like the Giving Tree, the earth will provide to us all that we are willing to take from it, without making much of a fuss.  If we ignore that for too long, like the boy in our story did, we could come to the end of the line with little left to be harvested by those that will follow us.

“In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation.”

~~~~~~

If you enjoyed this post,  please share it using the button below or leave a comment and consider subscribing to the RSS Feed.

Related posts:

  1. Lessons From Children’s Tales: The Tortoise and the Hare
  2. Lessons from Children’s Tales: Three Little Pigs
  3. Be Green, not Elitist
  4. Want to Be More Green? Get Your Finances Together
  5. Readers to the Rescue: Time for a New Computer