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We are beset each day by the enormity of challenges we are facing; To name but a few: The pandemic. Climate change. The November election. The world economy. Family and health security when facing joblessness. Any one of them can feel overwhelming. Together, they can leave us feeling swamped by a global tsunami of worry, despair, fear, disconnection, and loss. What we can do is often right in front of us, if only we learn to see the details that sit beneath our “big” picture preoccupation.
Each morning, I walk a nature path that winds through a forest and along a stream and marshland. For years, I’ve walked or run along this path, regardless of the season. In this new world defined by the Covid-19 virus, I’ve watched as the path has gone through a magical transformation.
A few weeks ago, depending upon the hour, you could hike the path without seeing a soul. With each passing day, as we moved further into Spring, more people began appearing on the trail, emerging from their winter homes like the green shoots that popped up and out from the trees, shrubs, and other plants that filled the forest.
The composition of the people reflected how we were all adjusting and adapting to life in the Covid Era. Older couples or individuals appeared first. Next came young children, leading their parent(s) on foot as together they escaped being locked in at home and could allow their urge to explore to find a place to express itself. They were followed by mothers and fathers pushing baby-filled strollers. Small groups of individuals and couples appeared, as well.
Without any formal discussion or agreement, an automatic social distancing etiquette was evident. When coming to within 50 yards of an on-coming person, both parties discreetly moved to opposite sides of the trail. No conversations were held, but a hearty, “good morning,” or “take care and stay safe,” became the ritual exchange. We shared this natural space together. We absorbed the sights and sounds and smells of the forest together. We all sought Mother Nature’s timeless ability to rejuvenate us as together we went forest bathing with one another (see https://bit.ly/2xdtu8i).
Almost unnoticed among the people taking in the water’s Spring flow, the blooming trees and sprouting greenery, were tiny bits of color - reds, yellows, oranges, blues, and purples. Painted stones. These painted stones sprouted anew each day like colorful magical mushrooms. Creations of forest elves (or arts and crafts projects of parents and children), the painted stones began to appear each morning in the forest underbrush, or precariously balanced on a fallen log, or nestled into a hollow in a trunk hacked out by a wood pecker.
The sayings inscribed on the stones were simple but inspirational. They reminded us to be hopeful. They encouraged us to remember we are all in this together. They inspired us to care and be kind. And, they sprinkled a new magic into what was already a beautiful daily ritual as all the forest walkers became engrossed in a new game of hide and seek. Now, we remind each other as we pass by one another on the trail, speaking out front behind masked faces at safe social distances, to “look out for the one on the log,” or “keep your eyes peeled around the bend,” or “there’s a new one today by the stream.” A community of neighbors who’ve become active participants in a daily ritual of discovery - of wonder, of smiles, of freedom from fear, as together we make our way, step-by-step, through another day in the Covid Era.
Thank you elves, wherever you are.
