(For my father on his birthday, may you forever Rest In Peace.)
Adi and I have moved back to Mansfield, Texas. We are living on her family’s 5-acre property and although I proclaimed vociferously that I would never leave the city 2020 has shattered all norms and made all of us adapt into something we never thought we would. To some degree, what has unfolded has been nothing short of remarkable. I have discovered aspects of myself that I didn’t know existed and it seems that they have allowed me to grow in ways I could have never expected.
With time on our hands, Adi and I decided to put some bird feeders in the trees on the land. I told her that I fantasize about having a place where birds, squirrels, cats, dogs and animals of all stripes could come to feed and live in harmony and peace on the land—Dr. Doolittle and St. Francis of Assisi have become my role models (yes, the fantasies of middle-age have changed drastically from the days of my youth). I realize I am searching for some semblance of normalcy and returning to the smallest things in life to bring me joy. Those small things are the very way I am maintaining a sense of balance and peace in my daily life. Watching the birds fly freely from tree to tree while snacking on bird seed has brought me a level of joy that is surprising even to me.
Simplicity is the pathway to peace. When the world seems the most topsy turvy the very thing that can root us in a foundation of peace is simplicity. Spending time in nature and watching the harmony of the creatures of Mother Earth as they go about their day without the least bit of turmoil proves to me that we humans create our own suffering through the thoughts that we think. To the birds and squirrels, they are just living life moment to moment as they do all the time. To watch the joyfulness of two squirrels racing around the land chasing one another illustrates to me that we too can possess this level of joy if we only become simpler and a little less complex.
These bird feeders that we have placed sporadically around the property have instilled in me a confidence that everything is going to be okay because everything is okay—exactly how it is. For the animals, nothing needs to change. They need only to trust their instincts knowing that Mother Nature will cradle all living creatures in Her Bosom and guide us exactly where we need to go. This is the time we must trust our own inner voice just as the birds, squirrels, cats and dogs do. They all inherently understand that there is nothing to accomplish. All is well. We are all being guided perfectly.
The only thing we need to do is let go—let go of how we think things are supposed to be happening. We must simply trust that every creature in existence is doing exactly what they need to be doing for this creation to sustain itself, even if we don’t always understand the various methods of experience. I can’t help but notice that when all the animals on the land have access to food and their basic needs are met there is absolutely no conflict among them. Cats roam freely with dogs with nary a trifle of conflict. Surely, a cardinal will get territorial for her seed while she is feeding, however once she has been satisfied, she will fly away from the feeders to allow other birds to fulfill their needs. Unlike humans, she doesn’t wait, hoarding the excess food for only herself. She has confidence the seed will be there when she needs to feed again.
There is so much to learn from nature. There are natural ebbs and flows that instinctively tell us when it’s time to take action and when to rest. It is true there are times when danger lurks in nature but once the risk is averted animals return to their sense of peace. This is contrary to the way many humans are living nowadays with many of us constantly in a state of stress with our fight or flight alarms sounding off continually rather giving ourselves time to bask in our own inherent security. Many of us are looking around seeking out our differences with others instead of understanding that we are all one—dependent on one another for survival. By seeking out these differences, we keep ourselves in a perpetual state of fear in our fight or flight mode creating stressors in our bodies that make us more susceptible to illness and misfortune.
It seems to me that what we need now is to return to our ancestral roots. We have all become so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives that there are probably entire years where we go without putting our bare feet on the grass (which greatly elevates our health) or to walk among the trees breathing fresh air. Although for years the sun has been the source of much misunderstood fear, it is paramount that we get out in the sun every day to absorb the vital Vitamin D for at least 20 minutes a day. The sun isn’t bad for us, instead the very thing that creates skin cancer is the saturated oils that we consume that are burned by the sun that creates the cancer. If we change the way we eat, the sun will soon become our friend once again.
These are all things that the animals understand at the most basic level. Getting out in nature is healing. Removing ourselves from the television and our cellphones has the ability to render a sense of peace that we may not have felt in years. When we start eating nutrient dense foods and become active in nature, we will find that our health improves. Our forefathers had no choice but to be outside and it served them well. These are all things we can return to in order to improve our physical and mental health and if this year has taught us anything it’s that we are in a health crisis.
There is hope. There is a way out, but we must take action for ourselves. No one else can do this for us. We are not victims until we make ourselves victims. We can reclaim our own health journey and it can start with something as simple as getting outside and communing with nature. This is how we heal ourselves and teach others that healing is within their own grasp as well.
With this sentiment in mind, Adi and I have been spending time with the birds, squirrels, cat, dogs and even a possum (we have a cat and a possum that are best friends) to commune with nature. We felt the best way to welcome all the animals to the land was to feed them and make this land a home where everyone and everything can come to remember that we are all in this together. It has brought us peace in doing so.
Sat Nam!
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