Having read this far in the book you know the stories of a number of people for whom childlessness has been, or is being, transformed and who find themselves with many different kinds of "children", ranging from their own inner child, psychotherapy clients, children of others, to communities, cultures or the planet as a whole. Just as each of these people has a unique background, a unique path in life and unique "children", so do you.

The following exercise is an opportunity for you to explore more deeply what reading so far has evoked in you. The exercise is best done standing to allow awareness to move freely through your body, although sitting or lying down (if you don't fall asleep!) might work equally well for you. You can read each step to yourself, have a friend read it to you, or make a tape recording, allowing plenty of time between steps, and then listen to it. Choose a place and time where you won't be disturbed for a while.

--- Close your eyes and relax. Take a couple of clearing breaths, ones that are a little fuller and deeper than usual. Then let breath resume its own rhythm.

--- Imagine that you are a tree. Allow a while to let the image become clear without forcing it into some pre-conceived idea of what your tree is like.

--- Notice the quality of the roots of the tree and the soil they are in.

--- Then become aware of your feet, or whatever part of your body is connected to the floor or ground. Become aware of your roots, your biological ancestry, where you come from culturally, and perhaps even other lifetimes. Work backwards in time from the recent past back as far as you can. Be aware of thoughts, of images, of emotions and of physical sensations. Take as much time as you need.

--- Now retrace your steps from the past to the present noticing how each stage is the "child" of whatever preceded it and the "parent" of what follows. What are the qualities of these parent/child relationships?

--- Come back to your tree, now focusing on the trunk and large branches.

- Notice details of the tree trunk. What kinds of branches lead off from it? What is the quality of the bark? Are there scars or missing branches?

- How many seasons has the tree been through? What storms?

- Then be aware of the trunk and large branches of your body. This is the basic structure of your present life. How do the details of your tree relate to your present life?

--- Then one branch at a time for as many branches as you choose, follow the branch to the end noticing what you see along the way, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, birds, animals.

- What is the condition of each part you meet? Alive and healthy? struggling? diseased? happy?

- For each branch, relate this to your life. More than likely many of these things you notice are actually your "children", beings that have come through you, to which you have given life, and which will carry on into the future beyond you.

- Again notice images, thoughts, emotions and sensations.

--- Finish by fully expiencing the living tree as a whole with its roots, trunk and all its branches

If you have the time or inclination, you might try drawing a picture of your tree. Let your creativity flow perhaps drawing a synthesis of the tree you imagined and the aspects of your life it relates to, portraits of your "ancestors" and your "children," your "Family Tree."

This tree may change with time. Come back to this exercise whenever you feel like it, perhaps after you finish reading the rest of the book.

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