Friday, January 6, 2017

Being Mindful

Walking through the woods with my dog Meeka can be calming as well as  inspirational.  Inspiration is a funny thing- you never know when it will show up or what it will look like. On this day it was triggered by a walk in the woods.  Meeka was having a ball, sniffing all the smells you would find in the woods.  For her, squirrel hunting is her favorite pastime.  There is nothing like a good squirrel chase to satisfy her.  As I watched her, I felt a sense of calm come over me.  I started really paying attention to the sounds of the woods.  I could hear children playing in a yard a short distance away.  The birds were exceptionally vocal at this time.  I stopped to take it all in when I heard another noise.  At first, I thought it had started to rain, but that wasn’t it.  It sounded like hair being rubbed between two fingers.  When I listened more closely, it sounded like something very small was eating. 
It was spring and there was a devastating worm destroying our trees.  This worm eats the new leaves of the trees, leaving only the skeleton of  leaves clinging to the branch. On one hand, the sound was eerie because I knew the devastation that was happening.  On the other hand, it was fascinating.  Fascinating that  I was able to bring my attention to this minute microcosm in the woods. I was quiet enough to hear the faint sound of tiny insects at work.


I also love to listen to the snowfall in the winter when it is completely calm.  I enjoy watching the snowflakes drift down from the sky in complete abandonment.  There is no sound of wind, only silence.  But how can I HEAR the snowfall if it is silent? 


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