By Pat Tuholske
This past year has been different than any other. For many of us, it’s been a challenging time on numerous levels… jobs, school, home, relationships, isolation, finances. Many have forgone gatherings, seminars, fairs, concerts, theater, and travel. The pandemic has brought stress, frustrations and deep grief. This virus has become a constant companion with whom we can make a kind of peace. If we choose, COVID-19 can give us the gift of simplicity and slowing down. Stillness can become part of our story, our healing, a way of life.
The quieter you become, the more you can hear. Seek the tranquil contemplation of taking a walk or writing a poem. Explore your creativity. Focus on profoundly simple acts. Search out the new green shoots and bird song. Lift your spirit with longer days in the sunlight. Contemplate new ways of being.
I often turn to my senses to find serenity and be more grateful for the world around me. I pause to listen to the trill of morning birds. Scents carried on the wind remind me to breathe. As I gaze upon the greening garden, I sense the purity and promise of the stirring seeds. I take time to notice the sky’s crisp blue turn to soft clouds. And step out the door for one last look at the sky to embrace the star shine.
As daylight grows longer, squirrels forage fresh buds and shoots, geese wing north, and the first daffodil buds are opening. The shift of the season is upon us. Amid the scurry of Spring’s activity I seek stillness and serenity like the lone acorn gracing the Ozark forest floor. I live each day embraced by the elements and guided by creative aspirations.
Find a deeper fellowship in the rocks, the trees, the waters, the stars. All of Nature supports you. Feel it in the blessing of sunrise, the rippling wave, the radiance of moon, and the glory of the woodlands.
The essence of Spring is the power of rebirth. Within Spring’s quiet moments I perceive the wisdom within stillness. In serenity I acknowledge strengths and weaknesses, growth and experiences. Once the pandemic clears, may we remember what we learned from serenity and stillness. And remember the new rhythm our lives have found.
See Pat’s Wild Wreaths, Twig and Feather Art crafted from Ozark native flora and fauna at WillowRainHerbalGoods.com and at Green Door Art Gallery. Check out her Field Journal for musings on the Human-Nature relationship.