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With Love from the Forest
~ a woodsy meditation ~
There was a time when the Seal Bay forest was my sanctuary, where I’d wander nearly every day to my heart’s content, with a joint slowly smouldering in hand.
Through the towering cedars and imposing Douglas firs, I’d amble in awe.
Amongst the moss and lichen and ferns, I’d stroll and stare.
Whilst pondering life, decompressing from the day, and disconnecting from screens.
But in late 2017, I began moving, travelling, and exploring the big wide world—and the comforting, soothing, healing forests of home became a hazy memory.
Even amidst brief visits home, I’d make sure to visit the trees, paying homage, seeking their quiet strength, recharging my batteries.
The trees themselves were a big part of what called me home in late 2020 (although the ‘rona situation in Amsterdam and bleak-looking winter ahead certainly helped).
But alas, not long after returning to Comox was when my physical pain began to crescendo, limiting any walks to the end of the street, if at all. In hopes of consolation, I told myself that stepping into the backyard and seeing only trees was balm enough.
That was a lie—one I kept telling myself for far too long, and continued buying into long after I regained my ability to walk meaningful distances without pain.
While I do love looking out my window and seeing only trees, being in a forest is tangibly different than being surrounded by trees. The air has a thicker-yet-softer quality. There’s that sweet, lovely, fresh forest smell lingering about. Sounds of the human world fall away while nature is amplified. Any congestion in my airways often fades away. A sense of peace and slowness is palpable.
Forests are special places, radiating with a living pulse thrumming through the air…
A subtle, ancient vibration that seeps into your bones if you stay long enough.
As humanity spreads their reach and searches wider for resources, forests themselves are fast becoming a precious resource—one to be treasured, and ideally visited often.
Since committing to taking more walks in mid-December, I’ve not gone as many as I’d like—but far more than I had been doing… Which is progress nonetheless, and progress I’m grateful for. The exercise is one thing, but I enjoy the peace most of all.
The human world has changed immeasurably as time relentlessly passes, but within these trees of home, little has changed—and I find the constancy a relief.
With love from the forest,
~ Alexander
(AKA: Wiz, WOW, and The Wizard of Wordcraft)
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