THE CALL OF THE WOODS - A REFLECTION FROM PATINA MEADOW

I took a walk in the woods this morning.

There were a hundred other things to do, but I took a walk in the woods this morning.

I set off with a heavy heart and a mind moving faster than my feet ever could. I felt the weight of my world with each step, the worries, the realities, the unintended consequences of them all. They all came along with me, though I tried to leave them behind when I latched the gate.

My gaze fell to the ground. My steps were shuffled, and I watched as my boots turned from a dark brown to a timeworn tan as I stirred up dust from the parched earth. I closed my eyes and took a breath, and then another, and prayed for peace.

The next moment came, as it always does, and I turned my eyes to the sky. Gliding above, in near-perfect formation, was a flock of geese, making their way across the blue expanse to a more forgiving landscape. I wondered what I looked like to them, way down here, just a minuscule speck, gone after a few flaps of their wings. Sometimes it's nice to feel small.

Before long, the wide-open space above was interrupted by a thickening canopy. The first leaves of spring were beginning to unfurl on the branches, their bodies the brightest green, glowing in the morning light.

From afar, each tree looked the same, the luminous leaves all conjoining into one verdant mass. But upon closer inspection, I saw that each one was offering something unique.

The box elder blooms and drapes itself with drooping clusters of flowers, which will soon turn to seeds and release in the spring winds.

The black cherry perfumes the air beneath it with its fragrant white flowers, standing upon slender stems. The fruit will come next, sweet and ripe for the passing birds, but here I am getting ahead of myself again.

Shining like a bright spotlight on a spring-bright stage is the dogwood, its luminous white petals reflecting the sun’s rays.

A few weeks ago, the only white in the landscape was the cold glow of snow, but now that life has reemerged, these florets have taken control of the post.

Beneath their thickening canopies, the forest floor offers up its own beauty, too. 

Against this backdrop, everything seems imbued with a sense of magic. I am stopped in my tracks by two dandelion seed heads, delicately dancing in the early morning breeze, underlit by their counterparts’ bright yellow blooms. I know I am meant to pick one and make a wish, but right now, I just wish to watch them sway all day.

Along the creek beds, fiddlehead ferns are still tightly coiled, keeping a secret full of fronds.

Blanketing the floor around them is a carpet of flowers, some with buds so small they could be easily missed by a busy mind like mine.

Thankfully, I have slowed down enough to notice. I wonder how much beauty I have missed when I don’t.

Each of these small vignettes, the petite petals, the unfurling leaves, the mushrooms camouflaged against the trees, they are all invitations into a world we so often forget to visit.

A world defined by wonder and awe, governed by natural laws, and sweetly scented by the perfume of fresh air. Everything outside of here begs for our attention with loud calls and clamors, but here, the call is quiet, and all it asks is for us to see, and be, and cherish. 

That’s all we can do. 

So, I took a walk in the woods this morning. 

Love,

Leila