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Nature's Invitation

Welcoming the Wisdom of Spring

By Kathleen ThompsonPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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"Rememberance" -Kathleen Thompson, photographer

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” - Theodore Roethke

Currently, one step out my back door brings a memory from being about six- years old – around that age I would often pull my Mom close to me and reach for her hand to take in the scent of her wrist – she wore a flowery perfume that was sweet and gentle - just like her. I’m sure, at the time, that I assigned that reassuring fragrance as “Mom,” not discerning that its origin was in the natural world of plants and flowers. My introduction to the scent, was my assurance that my Mom was around watching over me. Now, that scent has taken over my backyard and as it wafts in through my nostrils, I’m transported to that time in my childhood when largely life was all in divine order. At sixty-one years of age, I’ll take that distinctive aromatic from hundreds of “Lilly of the Valley” blooms stretching across the perimeter of my backyard as a sign as well. Although “Mother Nature” is not of human flesh, she is just as life giving and nurturing. I am reassured that even though humans are reeling from the effects from a world-wide pandemic, “Mother Nature” is still by our side, opening us up to her scents and in the process giving us emotional recollections. Memories that offer us solace, and familiarity as we move through, process and create what will be the “new normal.”

As lily of the valley permeates the scent in the air, I walk towards the path which heads down to a clearing. There are a thousand greens that spring introduces to my eyes that “Sherwin-Williams Paints” or “64 Crayola Crayons” could never duplicate in their palette of shades. When the light changes from morning warm (yellow) to evening cool (blue), the needles of the pine tree, the grass below, and the leaves of an elder black walnut tree change accordingly. Pine greens turn to more of a jade, and the fern greens turn more towards a sea green. Not only does the light during certain times of the day change a color’s hue - the evening light also intensifies colors like the pink of the peonies right outside my door. My peony tree has an ornamental outline that reminds me of some beautiful hand-painting you might see on an Asian teapot. When I first moved to this property/house, it was autumn- the tree looked spindly, almost dying – I did not recognize what the plant was and contemplated having it removed. Thank goodness, other moving details took precedence, so I left the tree in residence. When that 1st spring arrived, that "spindly, almost dying" tree had at least twenty large blooms (almost the size of two cupped hands). I felt so grateful that I hadn’t removed the tree, but instead watched it claim its beauty and identity through its blossoming. In this moment, the peony scent claims the air as well and doesn’t seem to compete with the omnipotence of the lily of the valley fragrance – each have their own time and space as the days of spring unfold.

“When Life feels too big to handle, go outside. Everything looks smaller when you are standing under the sky." L.R. Knost

As I scan the earth from the ground up towards the sky, the Black Walnut is the elder statesman of all the woodlands here – it holds it’s branches as if it’s holding up the sky – I see its strength within its long breadth in reach. I would imagine from its massive trunk that it is at least one hundred twenty- five-years old if not older. Somehow, I look at this tree now and gain comfort – it has survived winters, climate change, World Wars, the Spanish Flu pandemic and it is still standing strong, reminding me to do the same. It has coped with unexpected disturbances in the environment and has shown adaptability. If knowing this were not enough to stay grounded in the promise of surviving this time in history, the birds are echoing the same; robins, chickadees, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds are singing their hearts out. I hear no strain, boredom, or panic in their voices as they fly overhead or perch in the trees. Beyond the unfamiliar, sometimes troubling, rhythm my body is holding currently during these strange times, their lovely voices prompt me to decide to choose this option – to joyfully raise my vibration and allow myself to be inspired by the beauty that surrounds me.

“Beauty and seduction are nature’s tool for survival, because we protect because we protect what we fall in love with.” Louie Schwartsberg

Currently, we need to stay safe and give sunlight to the issue of climate change, but we also need to bring our hearts to the table. Will this time of “shelter at home” help us to remember the beauty of nature shining through our windows each day as we remain sequestered for the good of our health and the health of our world? Is this a window of time/opportunity to elevate our consciousness and fall in love with nature again?

I am asking that in this time of the pandemic, whether it is sitting in our yards or leaving our solitary fortresses for a walk outside, that these conscious moments will serve as a frequent reminder… that as we stand under the umbrella of an elder tree, hear a chickadee’s song, or smell the sweetness of blooming lily of the valley or peonies, that we stay present to address the needs of Mother Earth. To not just take in her scenery, but to love her, “for what we fall in love in with, we protect. “

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About the Creator

Kathleen Thompson

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