Letting Go of Science

Yesterday, I turned off my phone, packed some water and snacks and I spent the day immersing myself in nature. It’s where I feel closest to Spirit and in turn to my son Jason. It’s been three years since his death and I know his energy is in the woods. That’s where he spent most of his time.

It was a beautiful day on a fairly easy trail along a local creek. There are two waterfalls and I took them both in. It’s about 4.5 miles round trip and I wasn’t in any hurry, stopping along the way at some of my favorite spots.

But I was looking for a bit of solitude, and this trail rarely provides any, especially on a busy summer Sunday. And so I finished this hike and I moved on.

Just a short drive up the road is one of my favorite forest bathing spots. I usually have the place to myself and today was no exception. This gave me the solitude I craved and a place to commune with nature and with my son. Sitting in quiet with only the sounds of the water and birds and forest critters (wait, was that a bear?), I feel his presence. We talk. I cry. He rolls his eyes. It’s as if he’s there with me, and I believe he is.

Without even trying, this has become a tradition for me, my annual Remembrance Walk on August 6. I talk often about how I find healing in nature, so of course this is where I would spend this day. About this time I usually go into the whole science of why it works. Today I’m going to spare you and I’m not going to do that. Because yesterday I embraced the mysteries of nature. I let go of the whys and hows and ways in which it works. In fact I just let go completely, without the need for explanation.

Instead I opened my mind to the what ifs. There is so much we don’t know, so much that can not be explained, despite advances in science. That’s the mystery part. So many possibilities. Do our loved ones leave us signs? I don’t know, but I do know I found an extraordinary number of feathers today. Do trees feel? I may not know exactly how, but I’m certain that the do. How about the animals, are they sentient beings? Anyone with a dog knows that to be true.

I challenge you to spend time in nature and be open to the mysteries. Not everything has to be explained.