She's the one who showed me the Lady Slipper Orchids, the one who taught me how to go owling, and the one who walked me to the secret vernal pond.
She walks in front of me and offers final instructions:
"Keep your eye on this," she says. "It's a thistle. In a few weeks, this will be the most beautiful bloom. It looks terrifying now, but just wait."
"I will," I promise her.
Keep your eye on that. Just wait.
I love the kind of friends who show you where to look, who remind you to hope in days to come (even when it looks terrifying now), and who know the importance of walking in the woods to stay enchanted by creation.
I walk behind her, and I notice a tree. Something had a home inside of this hole. I don't have to know what it is. I just have to know it's there. I love the mystery of it.
I'll keep my eye on it and see what I can learn.
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What do you keep your eye on when you walk in the woods?
"Keep your eye on this," she says. "It's a thistle. In a few weeks, this
ReplyDeletewill be the most beautiful bloom. It looks terrifying now, but just wait."
I think I can apply this quote to my teenage daughter (however, I think I have to substitute years for weeks). A walk in the woods should be something a doctor writes prescriptions for - it's so hard to stay stressed when you are noticing so many amazing things. Sorry your friend is leaving :o(
Wow, Rita! I love applying this to adolescence. Bravo!!
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