A Prayer for American Chestnuts

Another goodie from Mike:

"Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral.

How beautiful the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.

To learn something new, take the path that you took yesterday."

- John Burroughs

I'm trying to figure out how to express on the page my hands clapping wildly, and big full throated cheers. Those. & a grateful smile.

This quote reminds me of a story related to me by Kevin about his first Goddard advisor, Ralph. Ralph lives somewhere in the vicinity of Shenandoah. He loves place, being in it, of it, located.  Awhile back he invited some other fabulous Goddard faculty, his friends, all world travelers, to spend time with him near his home.  One morning he excitedly invited them on a hike.  As they passed hours in these mountains that he knows so intimately, one after another they began questioning Ralph about the surprise, how long it would take, when they would reach it.  Finally Ralph stopped, pointed to a small sapling, and exclaimed, "Look!"  His friends asked him the significance.  "It's an American Chestnut!  They were nearly obliterated by the great Chestnut Blight of 1904."  Imported Chinese Chestnuts brought a blight that took out nearly all American Chestnuts throughout the East Coast.  Slowly, over time, a few Chesnuts have been found.

Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" involves a subplot of nurturing these trees & seeking to protect them from this blight still plaguing trees.  

Learn something new-- take the path you took yesterday.  

There's a skunk eating our fall crops.  I've learned that squirrels like to eat tomatoes.  Or at least they do this season.  In down dog every day I feel my spine breathe longer.  In sirsasana everyday I feel my body accept balance.  

Take the path you took yesterday.  When I look at Kevin's face I see the face I met when he was 18.  I see years together, and years ahead.  I see his first silver hairs & I love them.  I can't wait to see more gather.

Somedays my meditation is chopping wood.  Somedays my prayer is for American Chestnuts.  Right now my wish is to know my body like I know land, to step lightly, not be reluctant to receive rain, and cherish earth.