On this fine evening, I wish to tell a story, to weave a tale that spins out into the world. Of a young girl, who always felt more at home in the wild, than in any man made structure. Where the walls of buildings, always left her feeling uneasy, feeling trapped and confined, when all she wanted was to spread her wings and fly, fly away into the wilderness.
There was this uneasiness that followed her around, followed as she navigated her way in this parallel world, in this man made world that dominated and forced it's way upon her.
And this vessel that she found herself in, this body that bound her to the ground. She learnt to disconnect from her body, from a young age, in order to escape the pain that was inflicted upon it. At night, when she lay down and closed her eyes to this world, she got to experience the freedom she so often sought out.
There are so many expectations placed upon young females, many behaviors that we are expected to uphold. Society likes to mold us, so that we fit in. But fitting in with society, is not the same as fitting into your own skin. It certainly was not , for this girl.
There was always the desire to get away! To escape! This knowing, that the life that she currently embodied, was not her true path! That they was something better out there, waiting for her! And yet, this was a part of her journey, a way to prepare her for what was yet to come.
Her eyes were certainly open to the polarity of the world, to both the light and the dark!
But most of her younger days were spend daydreaming, of walking in the long grass, singing to the trees and finally, sleeping peacefully on the earth, as the smell of the soil, nurtured her inner longing, to belong. She felt out of place amongst others, finding it hard to connect with the way in which they lived, the way in which they interacted with the natural world.
She saw how so many treated other living beings which such disrespect, the way in which they held them in such disregard. How so many animals were viewed as a commodity, as something that they could use and abuse any which way they desired. Could they not feel their pain, could they not see the fear in their eyes. How could they be so heartless?
The cruelty she saw, reflected the cruelty she experienced in her home life, perhaps this is one of the reasons why she bonded much better with animals and why her sanctuary was the wild.
How could she ever, find a place amongst these other human’s, that had no idea of the magic that surrounded them, of the many gifts that were bestowed upon them by the natural world. How could they not see?
Because if they saw what she saw, they would not throw their rubbish onto the earth, the earth that nourishes them. They would not cut down the trees, to feed their materialistic desires, or pollute the waters, for a life of convenience. A life that left them lost and disconnected. The way that she felt living amongst them!
But she did not have to travel far, in order to connect, in order to feel whole. Her feet amongst the soil was enough to bring her back home, enough to heal her!
This connection that she feels, this blessing that is bestowed upon her, is what connects her, to her inner power. To her ability to self heal, because she knows she is a part of nature and that she only has to travel within, to reconnect.
Her celebration of the changing of the seasons, is also her celebration of the changes she experiences within. The natural world transforms, as does she. She understands, that how she interacts with nature, is a true reflection of how she interacts with herself.
The health of one, is dependent on the health of the other and so our healing is interconnected, interwoven. She understands that true healing, comes when we really see ourselves for who we are and when we take responsibility for our own lives. When we open our hearts to those around us.
So down through the years, she learned to open her heart to others, to really experience and see the beauty in human connection. To allow herself to feel, just as home amongst her tribe, as she does amongst the wild.
On this glorious evening, as the rain falls softly on the roof, of her truck, this girl, who is now a women, shares her story, of how her relationship with nature, with herself, has and continues to heal her. How it is the base of her spirituality and how all else in her life, stems from this.
This is my entry into the Natural Medicine Spirituality Challenge.
