Today I Walked in the Forest

I have been called to jury duty for the month of April. I checked last night and didn't have to report today (not tomorrow either). I thought I can be called any day this week so I best use my time. I just got back from FL last Wednesday so I thought "I want to see wildflowers," my favorite from my childhood in MI. My mother used to have a wildflower garden on the North side of the home I grew up in. I loved going with her to dig them up from the woods and I loved looking them grow next to the little well in front of our small wooden frame home and under two huge willow trees that edged our home.

So off to the Daniel Boone National Forest (about 55 miles from Lexington) I went and within it to a State resort called "Natural Bridge." I got there about 3 PM (having left much later because of household chores this morning) but the air was very warm and the sun was shining. I parked by the lodge for the trails were out back of the lot and began a two hour adventure to walk to the natural bridge and down again, about 2.5 miles.

I was immediately struck by how difficult the climb was. I am 67 (exercise most days of the week) and after a mile of rugged up/down over rocks, sometimes straight up I was out of breath, my legs felt like a 100 pounds and I was soaked in sweat. I thought "I definitely don't have to do formal exercise today." Was the work worth it? Without a doubt because the flowers were exquisite in their abundant beauty.

Fields of red and white trilliums-pick them and they will die; miniature blue iris, short height phlox everywhere, an open space filled with a marvelous wild-geranium looking plant, but I don't think it was, growing on top of huge boulders , bluets my favorites from VA, purple and one-inch white violets growing in crevices on the sandstone formations which edged the trail on the left side.

God's creation always overwhelms with its majesty and my own smallness. The plants of this forest have been evolving for millions of years. I hugged first the maples then the pines. I begin to cry for each of them. God's work of millions of years and humanity is destroying it within a century. I asked their forgiveness and asked them to teach us to care for all our mother planet earth has given. It felt so good to hug each tree to let them know this woman loves them equally. I know that in hugging them, God was hugging them for that is who we are-daughters and sons of God. So in my tears I smiled and remembered Fr. Teihard De Chardin SJ who understood the universe to be the body of God. And when we love we bring God to consciousness.

I know I will go back I love the forest and when I lived in VA I never visited the forest enough now I will. I want to walk all the trails, to take a picnic lunch and to sit and eat and look out and be in God's creation. And my heart overflow with gratitude for the gift of life: mine and all that lives.