Foothills Sentry November 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 14 November 2020 Assistance League of Orange utilizes virtual meetings for its Board of Directors and monthly Chapter meet- ings. From top left: Anita Kantak, secretary; Mary Beth Martin, marketing communications chair; Reta Wade, resource development; Susie Willits, Chapter center chair; second row, Catherine Rose, strategic planning chair; Laura Farr, treasurer; Norma Hockensmith, president; Leslie Sorrells, philanthropic pro- grams; third row, Karen O’Keefe, president-elect; Carolyn Seeley, liaison to Orange Blossoms; Barbara Swartz, membership; Mercy-Faith Kirkpatrick, parliamentarian; fourth row, Ginny Abell, liaison to As- sisteens Auxiliary. Assistance League of Orange recognizes 2020-21 governance The Orange Blossoms Auxiliary, comprised of young professionals, college students and stay-at-home parents, is governed by, back row, left: Michelle Malloy, chairman; Natalie Mercer, treasurer; Crystal Hammer, parliamentarian; Bree Sandburg, marketing communica- tions; Kristen Goettsch, member- ship; Ashley Ausseresses, strategic planning; front, Kennedy Schaal, chairman-elect; Autumn Cohen, secretary; Chrissy Vaughn, phil- anthropic programs; not pictured, Christine Deihl, resource develop- ment. As a tree MD, it’s sometimes tough to relax or rest. At any given point, we are surrounded by trees speaking -- or rather screaming -- of all their ailments and concerns. Whether I’m driv- ing to the beach or sitting outside waiting on my to-go order, I see trees sitting there in their little concrete boxes looking frazzled and struggling to stay composed. They are reflecting back to me all their stresses and concerns, fight- ing to exist! In my own quest for mental wellness, I like to read with the waves crashing at my feet, or in a strategically placed hammock after a brief hike (a privilege we all have and should take full ad- vantage of). Recently, I read that the human body’s basic reaction to any threat, be it physical or psychological, is more or less the same. Whether it’s concern for a sick loved one, or being stalked by a mountain lion, the same in- ternal defense mechanism kicks into gear. These mechanisms in- volve every vital organ and func- tion, and any physical issues pre- venting that reaction could cause grave health concerns. I read that, and I thought, “once again, the trees are teaching me and showing me that we are not all that different.” When my col- leagues and I take on a new leafy patient, our approach has always been to improve the immune re- sponse of the tree. Early in my career, while walking amongst hundreds of pine trees that had failed or were dying, I found that regardless of the amount of chem- icals that were sprayed, or treat- ments that were administered, the only ones that responded and survived were the trees with the stronger immune response sys- tems. Understanding the physiologi- cal responses is what opened my eyes to hearing their stress and understanding where it comes from. When a tree is under attack, be it from a pest or a human, the response is the same. Something else I’ve read on the latest research on humans, is how stress can influence how the im- mune system operates, and that inflammation that results from stress plays a role in many dis- eases and disorders. The diseases our trees experience all start with one word: stress. Be it a mower, a bug, lack of oxygen, too crowded, not enough light, too much water, these are all stresses to a tree. When we make slight adjust- ments, based on the tree’s physio- logical responses, we see results. Similarly, I have also seen results in my own slight adjustments and learning how to deal with stresses that life throws at me. Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all . – Erik Erikson