Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” - Rachel Carson

In the last seven years or so life for millions of people on our planet has been rather grim. On the world stage we as a species have had to deal with a global pandemic and an unprecedented number of severe natural disasters. Regions have been rocked by war, and nations have been torn asunder by political discord. On a personal level I have had to deal with illness, my mother got sick, my community was devastated by a horrific wildfire, and there have been other crises that have greatly impacted the well-being of the people I love.

   When we are in crisis mode very often the tendrils of the crises wrap themselves around us, and they prevent us from seeing anything beyond what is happening to us, or to ‘our’ people, at that moment in time. It is hard to know how to keep our heads above water when these events keep coming at us, one after another, after another, after another. The tendency is to keep our heads down and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The world beyond seems to disappear as we progress down a tunnel, focusing on problem-solving, coping, and living from day today. And when we do this, we forget to look up and out. 

   Since I got sick I have spent so much time wrapped up inside my own head that for a while I did not remember that medicine comes in many forms. One of the world’s great healers is Nature. She reminds us that life goes on no matter what we humans are doing or enduring. We forget to that Nature is untouched by all of these disasters. She keeps moving forward, unfolding, as she has for millennia, season following season, storms coming and going. Through it all she continues to offer up her unconditional beauty that is there for everyone to enjoy; if we take the time, and make the effort, to look for it.

   If we are lift up our heads and pay attention Nature gives us a cinematic view of her countless

wonders, such as lush flowers, grandiose trees, a murmuration of birds, raindrops dimpling the surface of a puddle, and a towering storm cloud. When we are able to open ourselves up to seeing with these gifts, the problems that we are dealing with internally, at home, in our workplace, or through our friends and family members, become at least a little less overwhelming. There is more balance in our lives, and we find it easier to cope, and to even see the possibility of hope in the future.

   The hard part is that when we are in crisis mode, it is hard to take that first step and go out into Nature. However, once that first foray is made, Nature’s pull will keep us going back to walk in forest, parks, on beaches, and in places where Nature is allowed to flourish.

   Nature has been a wonderful source of medicine for me because she has taught me that whatever madness I am dealing with, she will always be there for me. Even on bad days I can still sit on my porch to listen to the birds, let the sun touch my face, and watch the little, fat bumblebees that are feasting on the nectar in the flowers of my lavender bushes. When She is in a less tranquil different mood, I can watch the clouds drifting up the valley, smell the rain in the air, and watch the trees sway in the wind.

   The healing power of nature has been studied and celebrated since antiquity. Mother Nature, also called Mother Earth, is the personification of the natural world. Everything about her—the water, the air, the flora, and fauna—creates more life, which is where the idea of “mothering” began. Religions and philosophies from all over the world have looked at nature as a maternal “giver,” and a mother who should be revered.

  So, dear friends, remember to enjoy the largess that Nature has to offer. I hope seeing all her faces and moods, her plants, and creatures, will help you find some peace in our often turbulent world.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” 

— John Muir

Art by Kawase Hasui and Gorden Mortensen