The Peace of Wild Things

Posted on by Laila

 

 

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
~Wendell Berry
Today I went and lay where the wood drake rests and came into the peace of wild things.
It has been one of those rare spring days of perfection…not too hot nor too cool, a light breeze that just caressed and teased the hair on ones neck and the fragrance of blossoms and new foliage? Heady and intoxicating, a sensory elixir that would cure whatever ails you if you let it.
 It’s rare that I find a spot in Metro Vancouver that evokes memories of my youth but this place does that for me. When I walk here among these trees I feel transported as if walking in the cottonwoods that grow where the Nechako meets the Fraser back home. The giants here are still replete with the astringent sticky sap smell new leaves bring forth and have grown tall and strong here along the lower Fraser, some reaching epic proportions. We found one whose trunk was more than 3 feet across, an ancient giant, old growth of another kind than we usually think of. So rare are these spots now that to find them, is akin to finding hope itself for the first time. That perhaps we might just get it right because in these rare spots people can make and build those connections to nature that moves them to value it as well.
 The older I get, the more I yearn for the things of my roots. For forests immense and untouched. For lakes silent save for the haunting call of a loon. For rivers unspoiled by mans touch. When I was little I took these places for granted – I can’t afford to do that now and if you are honest, you’ll likely admit the same. And after weeks like the last where the political news and agenda’s sicken the spirit for revealing how corrupting the touch of power itself really can be….well… this is my peace. My center. How I keep myself grounded,rejuvenated and motivated at the same time. In nature I find a clarity and knowing that can’t be found anywhere else.
 For those of you also fighting the good fight, I hope you too find places of clarity and peace that rejuvenate your spirit and feed the soul,however small they may be. Take a break. Enjoy the world. Spend time with friends and family.Sunsets are free and the things that truly matter in the end, cost nothing and yet are priceless.

Do not, let the world make you hard my friends. ❤ Do not let it steal your softness or make you bitter. Because it truly is, still a very beautiful place.

15 thoughts on “The Peace of Wild Things”

  2. Thanks Laila it was a perfect spring day. My day was spent gardening, eating good food with some friends, lawn mowing, painting a sandwich board for friends and s good nap and hot tub afterwards. My dog Bailey is the perfect companion through it all. I do hope my chronic pain fight does not change who I am inside but I admit the fight takes some of the easygoing me out. Bless you Laila, you inspire me to keep fighting the good fight.

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    1. Thank you Terry- I can’t say how glad I am to hear this.:) You inspire me by continuing to find these moments too even in the face of challenges many could not understand. Hugs my friend.

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  3. I, too, grew up in a time and place where Nature’s ‘invisible’ blanket wrapped seamlessly around me, making it possible for my spirit, imagination and self-confidence to soar! Nature’s blanket is still there for us but we no longer can take it for granted. We must hold on tight, with resolve, and give Nature the love and security she continues to give us. Nature and her life-giving and affirming self will ultimately win the day but it is we humans that must decide our destiny, our fate. The human species must truly grasp Nature’s life-giving force if we are to have hope for our future generations. I will always fight the good fight on behalf of Nature because that is the person she nurtured me to be. I will forever be her passionate advocate and believer!

    Thank you Laila for also being Nature’s passionate advocate and believer! Thank you for your eloquent reminder to get out in Nature, whenever you can, wherever you are and recharge and be re-inspired!

    May your day be filled with bird-songs, smells of flora and shades of green everywhere!

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    1. And yours- what an incredible weekend this was for so early in the year! Thank you for all you do for our bears Barb 🙂

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  4. I have on my patio a pot of bluebells in flower, one sniff of their scent takes me back to the bluebell wood near my home in England. I love living here in beautiful BC (Campbell River) but the scents of certain flowers take me back home and I feel a little sad at missing the English countryside but at the same time it brings me peace. Scents and music can make one feel sad and happy in equal measure….it’s all about memories both the sad and the happy ones.

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    1. Absolutely. I do feel a rush of melancholy when I smell the cottonwoods ~ makes me homesick!But as you say,also a sense of peace for having strong roots that keep me grounded in what matters. Thankful for these places to boost the spirit!

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  5. I spent this beautiful day at the South Okanagan Rehab Centre for Owls. Whenever I start to lose my faith in humanity, which happens a lot since 2001 (if you catch my drift), I go someplace where I can see what wonderful, caring humans can do to make the world a better place.

    The rehab centre was packed, the volunteers so helpful, and their happiness at seeing the terrific turnout was contagious. The centre receives no government funding, so all the buildings and enclosures have been built through the kindness of donors, both businesses and individuals.

    Later, when I left the rehab, I went for a bike ride on the path down by the river. Being able to commune with kingfishers, ducks, quail, various songbirds, and of course, the river itself does more for my soul than any therapist ever could.

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    1. What a fabulous day Gini! Sounds very much like the OWL rehab here for raptors where the eagles rehabbed from their injuries! Amazing people doing amazing things for those who need it.
      It’s amazing to see the flood of people out into nature on the weekends. People are seeking those spaces that make them feel whole, take their breathe away and feed their spirit.

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  6. Thank you Liala and Barb Murray for your eloquent words. Your feelings very must mirror my own. The smells of the earth, my hand on a tree truck, the sound of the birds and insects, the beauty of the forest floor. Oh, how they do so much for my spirit. Nature is the only place I feel relaxed, calm and connected. So many places in Metro Vancouver have been altered from their natural state, so it is harder to find those truly special forests or natural ecosystems.

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  8. I may be one, but my readers and followers are many. And we have Merv, we have Norm, RossK, Integrity BC and others. Millions of views. Twitter impressions and reach of hundreds of thousands and growing. Everyone who shares and discusses outside their circles to reach those who do not know is important.

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  9. Nice post Laila and a good little respite but it’s Monday and time to fill the musket again.
    Never mind what one thinks of the whole topic of drinking and driving, this is about a controlling dictatorial Government that needs to be stopped.

    Absolutely shameful.

    “This calls into question the integrity of the government to a level you are rarely going to see in modern Canadian history.”
    http://www.cknw.com/2016/05/02/law-firm-says-documents-prove-government-rigged-drunk-driver-appeal-process/

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    1. 🙂 Working on a post now Hawgwash. And I saw that this morning – I will just assume government is appealing the decision but I sure would love to see those documents….

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