Tolkien's Ents

 It's been a long time here in the frozen midwest since I posted on this blog. I've had a month of medical incidents that landed me in the hospital and then in a recuperative phase. Not my plan! And it would seem it may have all stemmed from two tooth abscesses that ended up taxing my system including my heart.  I seem to be on the mend, though, and it's at the same time as the weather is warming up. Any hint that spring is on its way finally is cause for celebration! Already the huge drifts of snow are starting to melt and little patches of bare ground are appearing here and there.

While I was recovering from sky-high blood pressure, I looked for calming things that could put me at ease. And the story of the Ents was just what I needed. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has been my go-to book for many years, whenever I need something that puts me in touch with the inner core of meaning that sustains me. I have a wonderful set of CD's of the whole trilogy read by the British actor Rob Inglis. And during this last month, I often fell asleep listening to the story of two young hobbits meeting Treebeard, the Ent.

This winter, the tale seemed especially appropriate. In the book, Middle Earth is under siege from dark forces that threaten to destroy or take over the land. Greed and violence were moving into the West, and domination was the intent. It was a challenging time, with hints of the kind of situation we've been living through here lately in our own country. And like many a good epic tale, the forces of good win at the end of Lord of the Rings. So many individuals put their lives on the line in order to together save their world: hobbits and elves and wizards and men holding to their truths, choosing the good.  

I think I won't tell the story of Merry and Pippin escaping to the dark intimidating woods and then miraculously meeting Treebeard, the tree shepherd. You can read it, or remember it, yourself. For me, the image of a large tree-like being caring for a forest, and then gathering other ents to throw off their habit of isolation and join together with Middle Earth beings to save their world, ..... well, it is inspiring. And it is also heartwarming, somehow, to imagine trees who are wise and capable and able to shake the destiny of the earth.

So this post is dedicated to the Ents, and Treebeard in particular. More power to the wisdom and tenacity of the tree-world!