Contributed by Sandra Bass, Ph.D. Senior Associate Dean and Executive Director, Public Service Center, UC Berkeley
Redwood trees are one of the oldest continuously living entities on earth. “Before there were flowers, birds, spiders, or humans, there were redwoods.” The secret of their survival lies in the interconnectedness of their roots and the ways in which these ancient groves support and serve each other. In our work at UC Berkeley, we often evoke the wisdom of trees as a metaphor and model for community and service; therefore, it was particularly apropos and inspiring to join youth, community leaders, and educators among the redwoods of Los Gatos for this year’s Shinnyo-en Foundation annual retreat.
I’ve had the privilege of participating in this retreat for several years and have found great value at each gathering. At one session this year, we were invited to engage in a close reading of the essay, “Helping, Fixing, or Serving?” by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. And while I had read the piece before, this time the words landed in my heart in a different way. Dr. Remen sees service as life affirming soul work that awakens our sense of purpose, belonging, and connection. Much like the redwoods stretch out their roots to care for one another, when we serve, we strengthen each other by giving of ourselves in deep and reciprocal ways. In doing so, we live into what Shinnyo-en calls our personal path to peace.
Service animates both the tangible and the mysterious bonds that connect us. As I drove through the mountains back home, I left with new insights about the soul work of service and with immense gratitude to Shinnyo-en Foundation for the time, space, and place to renew, restore, and explore this work among new and old friends.
We invite you to enjoy more photos from this year’s Annual Retreat in our Flickr album, which capture moments of connection, reflection, and renewal.
1To learn more fun facts about Redwood trees, visit the Sempervirens Fund website: https://sempervirens.org/learn/redwood-facts/