As I journeyed
deep within during this outer transitional time of upheaval, anger, blame,
fear…I discovered in some dusty corner of my being an unusually fanciful
thought:
What if they could remember what it is like to touch the earth?
What if they
could remember that we are all nature—like it - or not, deny it - or not, separated
in the gilded indoors from it - or not? What if they simply put their hand on the
skin-like petal of a flower, rubbed the knuckled ridge of tree bark, floated
their palms through the lifeblood of an ice-cold river and suddenly awoke to
the truth of our embeddedness in the web of nature?
What if they
could see skin as the beautiful protective covering of our miraculous bodies
rather than just a surface to be covered with cosmetics?
What if they
could find in their own stature their rootedness to earth, so tree-trunk-like,
rather than just a means by which to wield control over others?
What if they
could see water as the very thing that flows their own blood rather than just a
commodity to waste through sink pipes?
What if they
realized how similar they are to nonhuman living beings...and to all human living beings? What if they had a
small “aha!” as the air outside swirled in their lungs; or a small “awe!” as
the majesty of snow-covered peaks brought them to their knees in praise; or a small "aww!" as the glistening eyes of a fellow crying human began to melt the icy covering on their heart?
What if they did
that and suddenly remembered how cut off from themselves they have been, from
their own true nature, from others?
What if…?
Would that
soften, heal, ripen, transform them? Could then compassion prevail?
All blog images created & photographed by Jennifer J. Wilhoit unless otherwise noted. Please circulate images with photo credit: "©2017 JenniferJWilhoit/TEALarbor stories. AllRightsReserved."
