Relatedness

I was passing a young boy and his parents on a trail yesterday when we spotted a deer and her fawn. The little boy was excited and tugged on his father’s hand, asking to play with the baby deer. We quietly chuckled, and then the father explained to his son why that wasn’t possible. The boy looked mystified, but accepted his father’s explanation.

I continued walking, still smiling about the young boy’s enthusiasm for adventure. Then I had a wondering. Why was the boy surprised at his father’s objections to playing with a deer? Didn't the boy know that a deer is a wild animal? 

Then I understood. To the little boy, that fawn was a potential friend just like his classmates at preschool. He didn’t see that the deer was far different from himself, and therefore an unsuitable playmate.

In my experience, young children don’t see differences, such as race, color, heritage, or even species. Maybe that little boy was modeling a state of consciousness that we as adults have lost. The consciousness that recognizes that everyone and everything is related, and we’re more alike than different.

What if children never learned to see the differences that serve to separate us from each other?

What if we preserved their innate knowing about our commonalities and relatedness instead?

I suspect it could be a very different world…

(New photos on website Gallery:  wandernature.com/new-photos)

Natural Gifts

Last week I met a grandmother and her two young grandchildren on a forest trail. They were crouched over several snails that had crawled onto the path.

I watched the brother and sister work together to carefully move the snails out of harm’s way. I smiled as they gently cradled each little shell and reassured the snails they would be safe now. I felt their deep hearted love and compassion for the tiny creatures.

This family of three was so joyful. The grandmother shared that she takes her grandchildren into nature every week. She told me she can’t afford to buy them much, but she can give them the gift of the Earth.

I was so touched...

(New photos on website Gallery:  wandernature.com/new-photos)

Playing it Big

A few weeks ago, I inadvertently wandered too close to this wren’s nest. She loudly screeched at me to let me know I wasn’t welcome. I apologized and quickly moved on. I was amazed by the wren’s courage. She was completely undaunted by my size, and ready to take me on to protect her chicks. This tiny wren didn’t play it small.

As I thought about this brave wren, I remembered an exchange I witnessed between a father and his young daughter in the forest. They were standing at the edge of a shallow stream, several feet below the path I was walking on. The girl wanted to cross a log to a small island on the other side of the stream.

Without hesitation, the father stepped into the shallow water, and boosted his daughter onto the log. He held her hand as she slowly walked, offering her gentle encouragement. As the girl stepped onto the island, she laughed with delight.

By supporting his daughter, this father was preserving the girl's innate courage. She had not learned to be afraid. She easily took a risk, and was confident that she had support. Like the wren, she naturally knew how to play it big.

So the next time I hesitate to take a chance, I’ll remember the little wren and the young girl.

I appreciate the inspiration...

(New photos on website Gallery:  wandernature.com/new-photos)