As I walked through the dark forest I suddenly stopped. The grass under my feet seemed to breath. Up and down, up and down with a steady rhythm. I looked. I listed. Gradually I began to see. A whole new world of wonder opened before my eyes.

Standing above a natural spring, a pool of water lies only centimetres below my feet. The grass and moss are so thick they form a springy carpet over the water.

The wind blows. A nearby tree sways. The grass lifts back and forth, up and down. A hole has formed at the tree's base. Through it I spy ripples of water as the ground breathes and the tree sways. A natural rhythm, like a beating heart, exists here.

The roots are too shallow and ready to surrender to the wind. One day the tree will fall. What holds it still? The neighboring tree feels the same winds, but its root system is much greater and stronger. The soil around it does not heave with the wind. Their roots reach out and touch on one side. The strong, firmly rooted tree helps the one floating on the spring.

I look in wonder. Close observation reveals more secrets. The swaying tree has thousands of tiny helpers. Each blade of grass intertwines its tiny roots together to join those of the strong tree. For the swaying tree the difference between life and death is those little helpers and the big strong friend near by.

We need each other to face the winds of life. When you feel like falling, cling to a friend. When you see another struggling, be a friend. You may only do a little (like a blade of grass), but it may make all the difference for a struggling friend. How can you help someone today?

Just like that tree needed its friends big and small, we need others to help look out for us.

Alone we fall, TOGETHER, helping one another, we thrive and flourish.