Spiritual Lessens from Nature Part II

Lately I’ve been returning to the woods for spiritual lessens about acceptance and wholehearted living.

On one recent hike, with this intention in mind, I couldn’t help but notice all of the living trees who were surrounded by trees in decay. 

It struck me as rather marvelous that a species lived together so contentedly in the two extreme ends of the lifespan. One embracing the other; accepting of one’s own reality and the other’s.

Shortly after having this observation, I read a similar one in a 2013 article titled “The Solace of Trees” by Henri Cole in The NewYorker.

The author, after confessing his own love of nature, discussed the role of trees in the art work of Charles Burchfield. He said:

“In part, this is why I’m drawn to the watercolors of Charles Burchfield. Even the scary, brooding, romantic ones comfort me, like “In the Deep Woods,” in which dead tree trunks are juxtaposed with an abundance of ferns and flowers. The setting reminds us that we are, as biological organisms, simultaneously living and dying. There is an ongoing cycle of death and rebirth that is a part of our everyday lives, though it remains largely invisible. But in the dense forest, if you look closely, beyond the black pond, there is something lyrical (divine, like a stained-glass window) glowing there, too.”

I understand that completely.

It seems like nature has an unconditional positive regard for every species no matter where she or he currently resides in space or time. 

Attractive, unattractive, young, old, years to go, minutes to spare.  All have value. All contribute something meaningful to the system as a whole.  All are essential players.  All are perfect exactly as they are.

I’ve written before that I am someone who has long struggled with endings- small, medium and large. The end of a great date. The end of a vacation. The end of treatment with a patient. The end of a job. Of a relationship. The end of life.

But walking in the woods, looking at all these trees living in decay, I felt a greater understanding of the necessity and worthiness of endings.

Endings are not better or worse than beginnings or middles. They are just distinct, with a clear and relevant place in the experience of being human.

What spiritual lessens have you received lately from your time spent in nature?