I think about their smallness, the wet conditions, a fallen log. As if being small alone makes it more difficult to exist. But then, if the conditions were right, then the coming-to-be of some tiny mushrooms must have been effortless.
I think there is a lesson for me here but I am not sure what it is - could it be that if I lay the groundwork in my life correctly, the goal can be reached without struggle? Do the challenges make the goal more worthwhile? Or, don't forget to carry an umbrella?
I just don't know what the lesson is but I was filled with delight at having noticed. This hike gave me another sparkling moment, when I heard a bird above me. I heard it flying, with each flap of its wings a separate whoosh. I don't know about you, but I've never heard that before.
Not too long ago, I saw a hummingbird land to drink from a feeder, and was struck by the stillness of the little bird, who is normally so hard to even see when he's out and about. A parent I work with noticed it as well and said, "I guess even they have to relax sometime," as his five year old son zoomed excitedly around the yard before us, the very cheerful opposite of calm. For me, the lesson was to slow down and look around me for things I didn't even know I wanted to see...
ReplyDeleteI remember looking up at the large oak tree in our backyard one day. There must have been two hundred or so birds within the branches. It was a quiet evening in the fall. I sat on the back stoop and waited patiently for the birds to set off; ready to hear the beautiful rush of their wings in flight to parts unknown. The sound of nature is an enchantment.
ReplyDelete"...And when you awaken, my love
Keep your senses in touch with nature;
Behold a rainbow of her colors with your eyes,
Smell the sweetness of her rose,
Feel the softness of it’s petals,
Taste the sweetness of her fruit—
But, most of all,
Hear the song of her wild,
For it is telling you to rest quietly, my love.”
Excerpt from Rest Quietly by Christine Young