Yesterday I walked in the woods on a trail that I used to walk every week, sometimes a few times a week. Wow, how I have missed that place. It was like reconnecting with my family and friends after almost 2 years away. Such a familiar place that is very special to my heart; how could I have stayed away so long? 
The trail is just as I left it and also very different. Trees have fallen, and new areas have been cleared of growth. There are plants growing I had never seen there before, and after days and days of torrential rain there are new streams cascading down the side of the mountain. There is even one part of the trail where I walked over a new stream and could hear it flowing beneath my feet underground. I saw it streaming down the mountain up on the hillside, and then reemerge below me farther down the mountain. I found little holes near my feet where I could see it flowing under the trail. It was incredible.
So many of my dear family of trees are still there, holding vigil, being their beautiful selves in the woods. They stand silently, so peaceful and serene. I was hugging them as I came upon them, saying “I’ve missed you!”. I could feel them hug me back. What a deep feeling of grace when a tall and majestic tree reaches its energy around you in a loving embrace. Each one asked me “How are you?” and I was so happy to see them! I asked, “How are you doing?” and they each, in turn, answered, “We are well.” (The trees do not consider themselves differentiated from the other beings in the woods, and I have only ever heard them speak in the “we” sense.)
I made my way to a place off of the trail that I would often visit in the past and sit for hours, meditating, talking to Guides, connecting with the mountains. Instead of going to my regular spot, I ended up in a different secluded area, sitting on a boulder in a group of boulders all covered in moss and ferns. Situated in a grove of Laurel trees, buzzing with the energy of fairies and magical beings, I sat quietly and listened.
As I breathed deep and took it all in, I heard the forest say “How can we be of support to you daughter?” and I began to cry. The unconditional love I felt was so palpable and gentle. I had not planned to ask for support. I had not planned to ask for anything. I simply wanted to be in this place and sit quietly, and the forest welcomed me with the openness of a best friend, a loving parent, a benevolent force.
It is easy to talk of loving the earth, but the earth is very very big. To love the whole earth feels more like a concept, like loving every person on the earth; we can love them all in theory, but we don’t have a personal, physical, tangible connection with each person on the planet.
A lovely trail near Boone, NC. Not the trail I was walking on, but very similar looking to my favorite places. I made sure to keep my phone in the car and not take photos in order to be fully present to my time in the woods.
As I was walking that trail and sitting in those woods, I realized I truly love that place. It is personal, real, tangible, physical and close to me. I can visit it almost every day if I choose. There are trees in that forest that are family to me. They have names personal to me and we know each other. I can see their subtle shifts and they can see mine, because we know each other intimately.
And that is the portal to loving the whole planet. Find the places, or even just one place, that is personal and special to you. Get to know that special place; create a relationship with the trees, stones, water, plants, energies. Listen to the beings that live there, and share with them as well. Love that place dearly and take care of it. Pick up trash others have left behind, and bring gifts of organic loose tobacco to share in the spots that call to you.
Your special piece of the world might be at an ocean, or in the desert or even in your own back yard. Wherever you find that special place, love it, take care of and steward it, nourish it and receive nourishment in return. This relationship, this sacred reciprocity, is what will vibrate out to the rest of the planet. Just as the trees do not think in “I” but only in “We”, let us steward and care dearly for our own special part of the planet in order to love it all.
