November 10, 2020
What if we’re not supposed to be covering up the spots in our life that keep us from being featured on magazine covers? I love watching people at Home Depot and Lowes. Always buying patching kits. Got a dry patch in the backyard let’s get some miracle grow! No! Let’s extend the deck! Fix it to look good! I learn a lot from my forest. The most peace filled unbelievably un-perfect chunk of land on the planet. Yet the hourly beauty it projects puts the heart in the right place every time we visit. The sights and sounds of a forest so early. The dampness of the air combined with the daily expectation of having to provide. The apple tree of many seasons has been empty of leaves. Has time caught up to my old friend? A large pile of wood chips a mountain size high waits impatiently to be spread across the forest floor. Feeding the roots of these trees is extremely important to me. It’s natural energy to an area that’s been brutalized by the growth of the city. We speak a language this forest and I. I honestly have no clue as to what’s been said only that the important part of the journey is what’s being felt. The deer live here. As do the owls, hawks, snakes and we’ve had two bear sightings. And here I sit in a moment of acceptance with nothing intruding on nature’s behavior. Ummm what does any of this have in common with the opening thoughts of magazine covers and Home Depot? A forest doesn’t need to look good to be incredible. Fallen trees now covered in bright green moss. Vines so thick and hairy you’d think we’re living out a Stephen King movie. During these Covid-19 days and chapters it’s easy to see how everybody wants to change the color and design of their picket fence. There’s so much building and restructuring going on. We’re putting a mask over the truer feeling. Just like the forest it’s completely natural. But where is the reality? Keeping up with the Jones’ is quite the task. The tougher game is accepting ourselves during times of horrific change. We can’t ignore the pandemic anymore. Ten million American’s have been diagnosed with Covid. Quick get on Amazon! I’m not dealing with this! The election still isn’t over. Potato chips and salsa! Crap we’re out! Be right back! A side of my heart believes that we need to look roughed up. It’s been a long haul and putting paint on our faces isn’t telling the truth. Twenty million people are currently unemployed. Not a Debbie Downer moment! Awareness is the key to victory. We’ve evolved into champions of the new age of disguise. Hiders. Benders. Yet when you truly pull the lens back on any forest your heart will see how imperfect the image is because it’s not afraid to let you see its scars. This isn’t a free pass to be weight on someone else’s shoulders. It’s a moment to learn how to better accept our changes. A new you is being constructed and it doesn’t need the aid of a vice. My grandmother was never afraid to talk about her aging face. With a brilliant smile she’d say, “I’ve earned every crinkle. I’m proud of what I accomplished.” All of this. It’s a giant pain in the ***. The first step is very simple. You can’t do anything to change it. But you have control over you. Winning is a choice. Stop ghosting your emotions. Listen to your heart. If you aren’t facing fear, doubt, shame, guilty and uncertainty then why aren’t you teaching those who are?