Day 268: Why I Want a Bonsai Tree

There is a Zen Buddist quote that reads, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” To me, that quote means simply to be mindful and do the day's duties. There’s something beautiful, rewarding, and refreshing about completing simple tasks over and over again throughout our life. They allow us to focus and clear our minds while doing something productive. There is peace in the work that we enjoy because we see that our existence matters.

I’ve wanted to write this piece for a long time now, but I didn't know how to explain why I want a bonsai tree. For those of you that don’t know, bonsai trees are small trees that you grow in your home. They're kind of a cross between pine with lilac trunks. There are several varieties and each one needs a little different care when it comes to watering, sunlight, humidity, etc. I don’t know a lot about caring for them, but for a while now I know that when I bought a house I would finally get a bonsai tree.

Today, I mowed my front lawn, weed-whacked the fence line, and cleared away some unwanted plants around one of my trees. It was a lot of hard work, but I enjoyed it. It’s like a runner’s high. After I was done, I just stared at what I had accomplished for a moment and it gave me a smile. Of course, the grass and weeds will grow again, but we continue to take care of the things that are important to us. It is like the wood and the water. We will always need wood for warmth and shelter, and we will need water to drink. The grass will always need to be cut and the trees will always need tending to.

Even though I love dogs and I love cats, growing up with both, I knew that when I finally lived alone in my own house that I would not want either because by owning a pet my lifestyle choices and traveling choices are limited. With a bonsai tree, I can care for something in my home, watch it grow, and not have to worry too much about it dying if I’m not there. That may sound selfish, and it is, but I would rather have a pet when I know that it will have plenty of time with the humans that it lives with. I'm too busy to be home enough.

In a nutshell, I want a bonsai tree because it will bring beauty and peace to my home by allowing me to take care of it. I enjoy caring and tending to things. It’s rewarding and in those rewards comes purpose. The soul hurts without a sense of worth. A small tree that I can clip from time to time will give me just the right amount of value at home.

Or maybe I watched Karate Kid too many times.