How much do I love you
I’ll tell you no lie
How deep is the ocean
How high is the sky
How many times in a day
Do I think of you
How many roses are
Sprinkled with dew
How far would I travel
Just to be where you are
How far is the journey
From here to a star
And if I ever lost you
How much would I cry
How deep is the ocean
How high is the sky
Irving Berlin penned the lines to this song, trying to express the meaning of an important love. As a human, I sometimes feel my experiences can fill up the whole world, when in truth, they simply fill my own body and mind and soul. Keeping a sense of scale in the Anthropocene Era is difficult. Human impact is literally changing the planet. It’s important to look around at the other branches on the Tree of Life and practice being mindful of their significance.

This oak tree in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge near Vancouver, WA is about 400 years old. When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, this tree was but a sprout. When I look at the size of the limb that fell to the ground compared to my friend walking around the tree, I am in awe. This living being has been through a LOT – while staying in one place.

Is there a place you go to put your human self in perspective with the rest of the Universe?
