The Tree of Life - in a place called Tule

There is something about sitting beside a tree that is over 1500 years old that makes life beautiful. Today that’s what three of us ISW girls did, went to visit the 1500 year old Tree of Life in a small town called Tule, about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca City.

We traveled in a collectivo to the small town of Tule to sit on a bench where many people from all over the world have sat before, simply to admire the beautiful gift in which Mother Nature had given; The Tree of Life, with its trunk stretching 11meters in diameter and it’s upper branches housing hundreds of singing birds, butterflies and creatures. Regardless of its struggles, the fights of furry with the wind and battles to withstand mankind, this tree had survived growing higher and becoming stronger each day.

It seemed as though the width of the tree stretched across the earth and the branches reached into the sky. Although some of the trees in the jungle would give this one a run for its money in size, The Tree of Life has years and with years comes wisdom; even within a tree.

There is something about sitting beside this tree that makes the world seem a little smaller. To think once upon a time, there was only nature and land surrounding this beautiful tree and now it has a neighbouring Spanish colonial cathedral and is surrounded by a tourist town to accommodate travelers, like us, who pass through to admire. Many say the Tree of Life is now

in danger of survival, as natural resources in the area are running low, they have created a town surrounding this tree, taking the water from the land and nutrients from the soil.

This tree is sacred, and to many people represents the power of life, beauty and strength. Lets hope humans can recognize this and keep the Tree of Life alive….