I took a break for a stroll through Crab Park today and by complete fluke met incredible volunteers with @thesequoiasolution and Tsleil-Waututh Nation who were planting 215 spruce and cedar trees in memoriam.

They let me pick a stake, dig a hole, and plant a tree. I chose a spruce and they advised it needed to go in a sunnier spot than a cedar. Under their guidance they showed me how to avoid touching the saplings roots and carry it by the trunk base. We filled in the hole with fresh composted soil they brought in (because it’s old industrial land) and then we gave it a good watering with a container filled with fresh water from the marsh. I pounded in the stake not only as symbol (like I originally thought), but also, as I learned, to support the tree as it grew

Afterwards they asked me to name it, so of course I named it “Dorothy” after my grandmother 🤗.

Then, to my complete surprise, they graciously handed me stake #1. I chose a cedar and planted it in a shaded spot which, by coincidence, ended up being equidistant to #215 that was already planted across the marsh.

#1 didn’t get a name from me to personify it. Instead I chose to let it represent hope, healing, and love 🧡. Everyone is equal and we’re all in this together 🤗. Nobody’s pain outweighs another; we all have different life experiences and they’re all equally just as valid as the next regardless of who you are are, or where you come from.

I’m super grateful for people like @thesequoiasolution who take the time and effort to make something like this happen. It was a beautiful, humbling experience and it filled my heart to plant something in the earth for the sake of growth, healing, and positivity. So many people had the unexpected privilege to plant a tree when they walked by this afternoon.

Thank you so much for this honour today 🧡.