When I was 15 my much loved cat died after a long and healthy life. I buried him at the home I grew up in and planted a totara tree to be nourished by him. Years later, after both my parents had died, the time came to sell this place and, with the help of a friend I took some cuttings from the totara, now nearly five metres tall, to take with me. All but one died, and the new owners cut down the totara I had planted in order to build a deck. So this small seedling is my personal treasure and connection back to a time of both sadness and hope, Held by my feet and the earth I offer a karakia of hope and endurance over this still small form, for all that may feel lost and all that is still with us, even if only as tiny seedlings.