Listening – Dare More

Listen!

Your life is about to change.

These words play inside of me.

Is this a prediction, a warning, or a promise?

Nighttime Walking Meditation at Morton Arboretum is a time of reflection. An opportunity to be introspective. A dozen or so of us gather as our leader Retta Hennessy explains how the evening will unfold. We will walk in silence and at different points she will offer a reading. Shared silence is a practice I have found to be valuable. Wordless walking in the company of others draws me deeper into the moment.

We begin.

Pebbles on the path start to sing in their gravelly voices. I had forgotten how much I missed the song of stones. In an instant, I recall my childhood driveway. That chorus of stones announced my dad’s return from work. Snap. Silence pulls me back to the sound of stones as they meet the soles of my shoes.

Pebbles and stones give way to a winding wood-chipped walkway. Each wooden fragment holds the story of a mighty tree. These generous beings provide so much for us. Now they humbly cushion our steps.

We pause at Lake Marmo. Retta’s reading reminds us how water carves out its place, sometimes gently and at other times with force. We are also called to claim our place here on Mother Earth. Lake Marmo is now full to the brim and overflowing. Her place is secure among the dappled shade of sycamore, oaks, and maples.

Heron sits on a stump at the opposite side of Lake Marmo. Retta reads a few wise words about Heron. We wait. We watch. Still Heron does not unfurl its wings. Heron sits, readjusts, and settles. A silent ripple of anticipation and pleading passes through our group. “Please beautiful creature grace us with your elegant flight.” But heron is in her place, and like Lake Marmo has claimed a spot.

She does not budge.

At the start of our walk Retta led us on a path I had never seen. Sixty plus years of exploration on these grounds never revealed this secret spot. We followed her under the arms of the yews in front of Thornhill. Dark and enclosed this hidden passageway has a mystical energy.

Celtic teachings say the yews symbolize the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Yews can drop branches that then root and form new trunks. A form of natural resurrection. Rhythms and cycles of death and rebirth run through each life.

I am listening.

Unknown paths exist in the Arboretum and in our soul.

Look for them.

Listen for them.

Your life is about to change.