Unpacking the $20 note

It makes me so happy to see the first colours of spring appearing when I least expect them.

It means that hope, and an end to this extremely cold weather may be just around the corner.

I live in a lovely leafy suburb where the changes in seasons are very obvious. As one season rolls into the next we adjust to the reality of the situation, and rain, hail or shine we learn to appreciate the colours and textures that come with it.

My street is a particularly interesting one. The trees are quite amazing; changing dramatically throughout the year. They are quite mysterious at the moment as they stand stark and colourless, for a little while longer at least.

I imagine they would have stories to tell.

Our love for our street came because of the trees; the house itself was a secondary consideration. We have always dreamed of living in a tree lined street and here it was, the opportunity had finally arrived...and we took it.

I couldn't pin point it at first; the feeling of familiarity. For some reason, these trees seemed familiar to me.  It was almost like something I had encountered before, perhaps in my childhood. It took me a while and then it came to me. When I was a little girl I loved reading; I still do. One of my favourite books was "The Magic Faraway Tree" by Enid Blyton. The children in the story would always go into the magic forest. There was always an adventure to be had; sometimes good, sometimes scary. I loved to dream that I was one of the characters in these books.

Today, every day reminds me of the magic forest and that same feeling comes to me every time I walk up and down my street. It's funny, because every time someone my age comes to my house, they comment about the trees; remarking how it reminds them of something. In the end we are always referring to the same, popular children's story.

Nature really is a powerful thing. It affects us in so many different ways. The blossoms sprouting around the place give us hope and the trees whisper their own secrets about the people down below, who sometimes mistakenly believe they are the most important, the biggest, and the most powerful things in the universe.

We could all take a leaf out of nature's book.