Starting The Narratives, A Story from My Life

This Posting will be the start of The Narratives, a sharing of those special and significant moments we have experienced with Earth and our Earth Family.

I will begin The Narratives with one of my own experiences, the first that I remember, so vividly, from my childhood. I truly hope this will commence a lovely dialogue between us in our Whole Earth Care Virtual Community.

I grew up in the country, north of Montreal. My brother, sister and I were very close in age and we had the run of woods, fields, creeks, ponds and secret places. When our mother wanted us home, she would blow a police whistle. If we were too far away to hear it a neighbour through a neighbour would get the message to us. We were free to roam, get dirty, spend hours outdoors without adult supervision, fish, catch frogs, lie under a pine tree and watch the clouds and the sun play with shadows. Bugs, birds and animals were our companions. In fact, our father told us that we should get to know the proper names of all of the trees, plants and wildlife around us because they were our neighbours, just like the people in our small community.

We were fortunate. We didn’t have a whole lot in terms of monetary stuff, but we had a rich childhood. Our Irish maternal grandparents lived across the field from us and our grandfather taught us that our very survival was embedded in the good Earth. To lose both land and an appreciation of our dependence on it was to lose one’s identity – one’s life, not only in a physical way, but also in the emotional and spiritual sense. Our mother and grandfather were both artists, and they would often draw our attention to the colours, shadows and shapes in the natural world. My father would introduce us to a bird, a tree and the delight of just being with Nature. I don’t remember ever feeling fearful about the wild world about us. My family taught us to celebrate the mystery in the natural world.

One night, when I was very young, my father woke me up, wrapped me in a blanket and quietly carried me out of the house and into the east field. He sat down and I cuddled up in his lap, his strong arms and the blanket holding me safe and happy. From him, I could feel joy, contentment. He told me to look up. I did, and saw a dark blue sky filled with stars. And, I saw a mesmerizing dance of light; green, blue, purple ribbons of colour moving across the sky.

My father died when I was nine. His gifts to me were many. The most powerful, the most meaningful, the most spiritual gift he gave me was the absolute assuredness that I was a child of his beloved Earth, that I belong here in this community of life-giving interconnectiveness and interdependence, full of mystery and compassion.

This mystery, this compassion calls upon me daily to love the beauty and terror of Earth, to try to be grateful, respectful, co-operative and creative. Earth never ceases to support me, heal my wounds and teach me.

What I Have Learned So Far

Meditation is old and honorable, so why should I
not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside,
looking into the shining world? Because, properly
attended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion.
Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don't think so.

All summations have a beginning, all effect has a
story, all kindness begins with the sown seed.
Thought buds toward radiance. The gospel of
light is the crossroads of -- indolence, or action.

Be ignited, or be gone.

Mary Oliver (New and Selected Poems Volume Two)

I have received so many wonderful comments about Lani's article, Subversive Seeds of Art and Nature. Many said they were inspired to take a walk out into the woods and see what creative muse might visit them. I hope you found some time this week to walk through Lani's "doorway" into play and appreciation. I await to publish the photos of these experiences.

Some of you have sent me great personal photos of polar bears, deer encounters and the December full moon. Keep these coming. I love receiving them. I'm working to set up a Rogues' Gallery on the sidebar to display our artwork, photos and sketches, etc.

A number of people continue to have trouble posting comments on the Blog. I'm not sure why, but the cyberspace that this Blog occupies contains gremlins, I'm sure of it. They continue to wreak havoc with my patience and nerves - there is always something that goes awry just when I think I have finally mastered it. For those of you who have encountered these beastly cyberspace creatures on this Blog, below are directions once again that might help.

To make a comment you click on comments at the bottom of the Posting.
A box will appear and it will say: Leave You Comment.
Type in whatever you wish to say inside the box.
Type in the jumble of letters and/or numbers above the Word Verification box with the disability sign to the right (this is to control automatic spam, etc.)
If you have a Google Account, type in your username and password. If you don't have an account, you can sign up by clicking on Sign up here (it's easy and can be quite useful for lots of stuff and it's all very secure). Otherwise, try clicking on the dot next to Anonymous.
Then click on the orange Publish You Comment and EH, Voila!
It sounds all very complicated, but it's not...if I can do it, you certainly can.
I moderate all comments just to keep the Blog "clean" and "safe" for our Virtual Community. So, when someone sends a comment to the Blog, I get notified. I read the comment and then publish it without editing it.

If this fails, simply email me moczero@sympatico.ca with your comments and let me know what name you want to appear with the comment on the Blog.

There will be a February Posting of The Narratives. I encourage you to put fingers to keyboard, write down one of your own narratives with Earth and/or our Earth Family and share it with the rest of us. It doesn't have to be elaborate or fantastic, just something that is real and informative, a comfort to you -an experience of beauty. Email me at moczero@sympatico.ca

Don't forget to check out the information and links on the sidebar and take care.
Earth Family first,
maureen

Photos from Google Images