The electric foliage of spring and the slowly warming sun has been softening my edges and waking me up. I am so deeply grateful to organizations like Boston Harbor Now, PLACE Fellowship, Speak For The Trees, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Newton Community Education, and Harvard’s Cabot House, along with the support of the land, the ocean, the birds, the winds, the humans and the beyond for allowing me to accompany so many groups on some absolutely lovely forest therapy excursions over the past few weeks.
Now I'm shifting gears. The land is calling and I’m getting ready to board a plane for the first time since January of 2020. I’m headed west to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where I’ll be living in my tent for five weeks at an elevation of about 9500 feet. I’ll be attending a mirroring guide training program and then assisting a solo fast program with my guides and mentors from Wild Mountain Retreats. I’ll be away from my computer and mostly off grid until I return in late June.
Here is an excerpt from my letter of intent:
Life is brutal but yet we try to find meaning because the brutality of life will blow at our flames, reminding us that they can blow out at any time, without warning or explanation. Finding a reason to stay alive can start to feel futile in the moments when I forget that I am not alone. I find comfort in exploring the great mysteries of life. So long as I put in the work to stay connected to curiosity and wonder, no matter how brutal, then I believe I can stay the course of my path as a human. The trees, the clouds, the animals, the waters, the rocks, the plants, my beloved human kin along with my loving ancestors, and that which exists beyond what I can name or even comprehend, this world of awe and mystery is not separate from me and when I truly pay attention, that's when I can tap into the generous support that is ever guiding me towards love, reminding us all that we are not separate. My intention is to live relationally and keep my heart open and tender while staying alive long enough to do my part in weaving our stories and fanning our collective flames. In the end, when my flame does inevitably blow out, I want to know that I showed up to life fully, however brutal and however radical, I want to have existed in all my truths in my own tender relational way with love at the center.
See you on the other side and thank you for a robust and enlivening spring!
