The Narratives - A Favorite Place

When we listen to a small part of someone’s else’s story, when we share a tiny piece of our own story with someone else, our life experience expands. We are richer for the sharing and the listening. We become one, in a way – the storyteller and the listener. Our experiences fuse. The storyteller steps into the listener’s world and the listener discovers another world that informs, teaches, enriches and provokes. The listener’s world changes, often at a very deep level of intuitive learning and understanding.

Kathy generously shares a tiny snippet of her childhood. It’s but a glimpse and yet, it is so rich with sights, sounds, emotions, and even the feel of the play between sun and shade. She takes us by the hand and leads us to her favourite place. It’s such a lovely gift.

A Favorite Place

Growing up in the country, my grandparent’s house was just across the field from ours. A well trodden narrow path led from our back door across our front lawn and past a luxurious grassy mound on the left. This mound had once been a place where chicken manure had been stored and now it provided a perfect bed for a tall growth of grass. (A great place for lying on your back looking at the stars.)

On the right, another path led into the forest and to an enormous pine tree. My father had attached a swing to a high limb and that swing, the longest in the world, transported us into the sky way above our country kingdom and back down, close to the forest floor.

But continuing on the path to my grandparents, (as if this ideal playground was not enough) stood another favorite tree. This sturdy, adult maple was easy to climb and offered several limbs to stretch out on. It was wonderfully green and leafy up there in the summer and I could hide and dream safely aware of all that was happening way down below around both houses.

I still remember the sound of the wind in that tree and imagining friendly spirits all around. Dogs would bark and a screen door would slam. I could yell down to my brother and sister and delight that they could not find me, at least for a while. I could see my grandfather praying and nodding off in his wooden chair in a shady corner of his yard. A squirrel nattered away at me for invading his territory and insects would continue their endless duties all around me. Wasps and bees would not bother me if I didn’t bother them, while the sun would dance with the twisting leaves. It was perfect. Even on hot still days, it was the place to be. Cicadas shrilled above my head proclaiming a long, stifling afternoon, but in my tree nest, I remained cool and content.

I see now why it was the best of all worlds for me, a growing child. The maple tree in its rootedness held me securely while it offered me an experience of solitude and independence. I could hold sway above my everyday world and have a different perspective from that of the youngest and smallest kid, following the others around. The dreaming and imagining contained all possible worlds and all possible futures.

And yet I had just to open my eyes to see the path that lead to the tree, my beloved house and my grandfather dozing in the shade of his garden. That was also my world, but really one no less real or important than the other imagined ones. It was an experience of balance between independence and dependence, the real and the imaginal, and the present and the possible.

I think as children we try to find what we need. How fortunate we were to have the natural world so available to us that offered these possibilities. I would only wish it for every child.


Thank you, Kathy, for this. Truly, if every child could have such a place.

When They Sleep

All people are children when they sleep.

There's no war in them then.

They open their hands and breathe

in that quiet rhythm heaven has given them.

They pucker their lips like small children

and open their hands halfway,

soldiers and statesmen, servants and masters.

The stars stand guard

and a haze veils the sky,

a few hours when no one will do anybody harm.

If only we could speak to one another then

when our hearts are half-open flowers.

ords like golden beeswould drift in.

Teach me the language of sleep.
Rolf Jacobsen

Rogues’ Gallery:

"Our veranda here in Greece. Wisteria...at it peak of blossoming. It's full of what I think are called 'bumble bees', huge fat guys, and the plant HUMS! all day long. The table barely visible in the picture, at the right, round, by the doors there, is an old 'bobbin' type thing that the electricity had cable wound on -very sturdy table!!! That's a walnut tree at the left, just budding. When its leaves fall, i just shove them under that area of bushes: God's instant mulch, not to mention fertilizer. Thanks for your blog. Take care! Caroles

The other photos, Signs of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, are mine. Now, let's see yours.

Media:

Websites: Fran wrote: “Maureen, a great website to look for interesting workshops on
sustainability, spirituality, developing our relationship with the earth and
understanding the times we are living in is http://www.genesisfarm.org/
It was begun by Sister Miriam MacGillis, longtime friend of Thomas Berry.”

Video: This is just for sheer joy and smiles.
I’m sure most of you have seen this, but it is so good for our hearts…
The song, this wonderful person and her spirit, and the way she changes opinions
within an instant, can give us hope in our dreaming of our Dream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&NR=1

Saturday, May 9th is International Migrating Bird Day.
Check out these websites to learn more:

http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2009/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=535&ArticleID=5803&l=en

http://www.naturecanada.ca/bird_cons_involved_migratory.asp

http://www.fws.gov/birds/imbd/materials.html



And, do not forget Sunday, May 10th. It’s Mother’s Day. A very important day…

Articles for the Guest Writer Posts, your stories of a favorite place or moment in Nature for The Narratives, questions for Katie, The Answer Lady, photos for the Rogues’ Gallery, comments, suggestions, etc., etc. are all welcome. (I’m becoming such a nag!)

The position of Naturalist for The Whole Earth Care Blog is still open.

Please apply to: moczero@sympatico.ca

The Full Moon for May will be up on the 9th. Some names given to May’s Full Moon are: Milk Moon, Dragon Moon, Planting Moon, Moon When Leaves Are Green, and Hare Moon.

Let's meet like this again next week.

Earth Family First,
maureen
(Photos by Google Images and Family Photo)