The Aspen tree is beautiful to look at on a bright summer's day. With a slight breeze, the green leaves appear to shimmer so much so that the tree is often referred to as the "Quaking Aspen." Beyond the outward beauty, the Aspen tree is a helper and a protector. The roots of the Aspen are connected with others, so each tree can share water and nutrients if another tree is in need. It is resistant to fires at times being bypassed entirely due to it's highly saturated nature, or being the site where a fire extinguishes.  The Aspen tree speaks to me as a person and a counsellor because I believe we all benefit from our connections. There are times we are the protector and share our resources, and times when we are in need of receiving those things from the people in our root systems.