All creation speaks to those who know how to lend an ear. – Charles Wagner
It’s hot and humid as I write this, sitting on my back porch. We’re bracing for a heat wave, and the birds are chirping as a gentle breeze cools the sweat on my skin. I’m hoping our neighborhood wild rabbit will make an appearance before I have to go inside and start on dinner.
There is nothing that centers me quite like nature. A walk in the sun, the smell of pine, and even the recent intense noise of the cicada calls bring me to a place of connection.
I am on this earth for a brief time. The saguaro cactus will barely grow one branch in my entire lifetime. But I am here in this moment for a reason.
My sincere desire is that I leave an imprint of love on people. I want to be remembered as kind and attentive – someone who made people feel good about themselves. Solitude in the vast arena of mountains and valleys paradoxically reminds me that I am not isolated. I am connected to God and to others on a deeper level even as I stand alone.
And I hope that my reverence for nature informs my actions. I want to breathe in the beauty around me and nurture it so my children’s children get to enjoy it as much as or even more than I have. As I make choices to minimize my impact on the environment and all its creatures, my connection deepens. I am filled with gratitude. I get to be here. And I get to share it with you. What a wondrous gift.