What a beautiful post Mary. I know what it's like to be both an empath and an outsider. I wrote a kinda prose poem a few days ago about pretty much being a forest hermit recluse witch - so I totally get where you are coming from haha.

I'm lucky - twenty years married to the love of my life and we still make love, and are in love. We work at it though. He does see me, more than anyone does, and loves me anyway and because of who I am. Warts and all, as they say.

Really enjoyed this lovely meandering through the woods and your mind.

Sometimes we don't need to be understood. We just need to feel okay with being who we are, and sod the rest. The trees know us. That's enough.