How I missed the connection of Nature
I can't even begin to tell you the weekend that I had. Compared to last weekend, this weekend was a gift from Creator. It was as though the Great Mystery knew exactly what I needed to recharge every fiber of my being. Over the week my body has been healing rapidly, more and more each day I am feeling better and looking better.
By the time the weekend hit, I was ready to go for a hike. I was gifted a beautiful, warm sunny weekend too! As soon as Michael and I stepped into that beautiful ancient forest, I felt at home. There is a specific feeling you get when you are surrounded by trees that over tower you and are hundreds of years older than you. You can feel the interconnectedness of your surroundings and how the ecological system depends on each and everything in it. Its beautiful.
In my culture, we believe that we are connected to everything. We honor the stone nation, the rooted nation, the crawlies, the swimmed ones, the winged ones, father sky, mother earth, grandfather sun, grandmother moom, the star nation people, the four legged and the two legged. We respect and honor this by saying, "all my relations" when we are done praying. It is to remind ourselves that we are pitiful human beings and that everything around us is so much greater than.
Elders say that when you are having troubles, give it to the ocean, let it wash it away. Give it to the rocks, they have more strength. Or my favorite, give it to a tree. There are times that I have felt anxious, sad, angry, nervous, or even happy and when I walk into a big cedar forest, you can feel the strength and wisdom of the rooted nation. I put my back up against that tree, the strength of it's foundation supporting me, and I can feel it reach deep into my spirit and up lift me. You can instantly feel the comfort of letting go, and giving thanks to that tree for taking your worries.
I loved every minute of that hike on Saturday. I loved the sound of the wet ground underneath me, the fresh smell of cedar all around me, invigorated my senses. You could hear the birds singing to each other, the sounds of their wings flapping as they fly over you. I loved climbing the big rocks that stood at the edge, looking out into the never ending ocean. The warmth of the sun, shinning down on my face. The cool, crisp autumn air kissing my cheeks.
I have not been on a hike since July. Three long months of being away from my relations. There are certain things that are a part of you, just as your family and friends become a part of you. Being in nature is a second home to me. It is a balance and a perspective that I get in an instant, it is a part of who I am, what I am tied to, and what I believe in. Generations of generations of family lineage, going back thousands of years, ties me to this land and it courses through my veins. It is part of my spirit.
I have been filled with so many things in the last couple of weeks. Gratitude, Faith, Love, Prayer, Trust, and even a little bit of frustration and pain. Though I am awe-struck with the experience that this has been for me. The lessons that I have been learning about myself, about life, about what is really important to me. The more I choose to see these things more clearly, listen more attentively, and be more open to feeling, the more I am granted a better understanding and perspective on who I am, it seems.
I haven't felt this way in a long time. This weekend gave me clarification. Clarification that things keep going and moving, even if you're not. There are things that are constant, like change. Things that will always be there for you, like love and faith and prayer. It is a matter of choice, when it comes down to everything. The choice to be angry or to be happy. To accept things or be in complete denial of them. To choose to let something beat you down or the determination to fight and persevere. In whatever it is that you choose, know that it will not be easy. Life will challenge you, even in times when you think that you can't take anymore, in those times, in that moment, is what really matters. It will show your strength.
If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.
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