It was a beautiful day in Brooklyn yesterday, so I decided to take the bus to have brunch at a wonderful little restaurant called iCi. With a seasonal menu of organic and local foods and a partnership with Added Value (a program that nurtures city kids by teaching organic farming skills and raising monies by selling the fruits of their labor at a greenmarket in red hook)– it was the perfect opportunity to experience the the warmth of the sun, the quaint garden atmosphere and eat well under the big oak.
I was just mere sips into my glass of rose, when I looked over to see all of the gorgeous fruit bearing and flowering trees in the yard next door. Japanese maples, cherry trees, all in spring time glory. Then, I realized the low hum of a chainsaw. The trees, I thought to myself, were being cut back. Then, with a crash that almost threw me from my seat- I realized this was clearly NOT the case. The cherry tree- the star of nature’s show- was being hacked completely down.

Yes, I am a treehugger. Yes, this was not the brunchtime entertainment I had anticipated. Yes, I was disturbed on so many levels. But the thing that struck me most was that we are so quick to remove a fruit bearing tree, when in so many other countries, a cherry tree would be allowed to at least reach it’s harvest time so that it would nurture, feed and possibly provide vital income for the owner. I was speaking with Marion Emanuelle, the owner of iCi, at the time and wondered aloud- I just hope at least the tree is given new life as mulch.

This week I witnessed the cycle of life for two people close to me. For one, a son was born. The other, a father passed. For both occasions, I had trees planted in honor and memoriam. I just didn’t know that I would be replacing a cherry tree that literally hit so close to home.

namaste.