In the spring of 2022, the day came when the verbiage around mounting Covid 19 cases, lockdowns, vaccine availability, and health care services in crisis had all but broken me. I decided to leave the television off and instead, opted for a walk in a well-known nearby park. With my favourite tea-filled travel mug, I embarked on a surprising and unintended practice in connecting with Nature that has grown into a deeply loved source of revitalization.
Arriving at the park on a sunny Friday afternoon felt like a type of homecoming. I strolled by all the familiar spaces – a bench that offered comfort during awkward first date conversations, the sunny patch where a spontaneous picnic created a much-loved memory, the path I walked to work in my theatre days – which eventually led to my favourite section where a large number of trees congregate. It is a quieter section of the park due to the sparce grass, abundance of shade, and little room to run or frolic. Even so, I have always felt far more comfortable in that area than anywhere else in the varied spaces spanning a few city blocks.
On that day, for the first time - possibly ever in my life - I walked without a destination. Previously, leaving the house for no other reason than to leave the house was a pointless endeavour to me so I had long refused to do it. That day, however, the trees taught me that without a destination in mind, one ends up where the heart chooses and that is always the best place to be.
As I continued my heart-led walks among the trees, I came to know them, these beautiful, wise beings. They came to know – and eventually trust – me. In posts to come, you will learn about the friends I’ve made, my method of developing relationship with nature beings, and the surprising gifts that were returned to me.
Stay tuned!