Episode #9: Daughter, Water, Trees Mama Mindset® Podcast

Mama Mindset® Podcast Episode #9: Daughter, Water, Trees

Video Version:

https://youtu.be/Lxzho2w6wRY

Daughter. Born with divine feminine energy. Water. Refreshing and life giving. Trees. Majestic and a place of simultaneous strength and solace.

In this special and sacred episode of the Mama Mindset® podcast, I got emotional in the most nourishing way honoring a book that touched the soil of my soul. It nurtured me in a serendipitous moment, and it is my prayer that it splashes you with the honor it is to celebrate you, fellow daughter.

I feel this story is a beautiful depiction of one man's courage to change the narrative of a small village in India. To pivot from the silence, shame and fear that often met families when they welcomed a daughter.... to a place of celebration, strength and connection with nature.

The book is called 111 Trees: How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl by Rina Singh and gorgeously illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. These two women brought to life the story of a boy named Sundar... who grew up to become a man of prominence in his village, elected as sarpanch, or village head. Sundar Paliwal who chose to lean into the love and connection he had with two significant women in his life- his mother and daughter, both of whom he had tragically lost.... and to channel that love and grief into life and nurturing and ultimately honoring and allowing for new life to thrive.

Trees reminded him of his mother and walks he had with her to the well to get water as a young boy. He cherished this time alone with her, and was filled with awe watching her grace in balancing the water pot on her head and later filled with grief when she died after being bitten by a poisonous snake. When his daughter tragically died of dehydration, after his initial period of acute mourning, he planted trees in her honor.

And then, looking at 3 parallel lines he had written on the ground with a stick for 3 things that stood out in his mind: daughter, water, trees- he saw the number 111.

As the sarpach or village head, he proposed and planted the idea that honoring girls was the way forward. That for every daughter born to the village, 111 trees be planted in her honor. This thought was radical at the time and resistance was strong in the beginning. But as the idea began to take root, the families began planting 111 for every new daughter. The trees grew as did the girls. The once barren, arid and devoid landscape in this village began to flourish and thrive. Water was more abundant. Poverty and hunger improved. Women of the village tended to aloe vera plants which served as a natural termite repellent to ensure the health of the trees. From this and their natural innovation, they made products out of aloe vera and established a livelihood of their own for the first time.

The villagers committed to raising their daughters with the opportunity to get an education and not to be married before age 18. The girls and women of the village tie prayer and sacred threads to the trees at the end of every summer as a sacred act of the symbolism of their bond and their mutual ability to grow, prosper and thrive.

Today, the village still honors the birth of a daughter with the planting of 111 trees. In 2007, the Indian government honored the village of Piplantri with the President's Award for being a model village.

I imagine a visit to this village one day- to see the mango, papaya, neem, sheesham and amla trees along the roads and plentiful on the hillsides. Their beauty evident. Their brilliance and wisdom a source of life and restoration for the village and family. Their strength celebrated. Their life giving abilities on display. Just like the daughters who inspired them. May their roots grow ever deeper. May their brilliance and beauty be ever on display. Celebrated. Honored. A gift. A life giving gift. Born to thrive.

This profoundly powerful story moved me to the roots of my own soul.

Daughter. Water. Trees.

This Ind