NATURE | RECIPROCAL | INSPIRATION AND HEALING
Birds Flying High Above the Green Masterpiece
Nature has the ability to bring much-needed peace
Birds flying high You know how I feel Sun in the sky You know how I feel Breeze driftin’ on by You know how I feel
— Sung by many including Nina Simone. Written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
I find solace in nature among the birds.
I’ve struggled my whole life to find peace. Nature has always been a way to escape.
When the yelling got too loud in the house as a child, a local park became my best friend. Peace was found on the swings with trees billowing over, and birds chirping.
Nature was a mini-escape from the madness, and anything helped clear my mind of the clutter.
The mini-dandelions that blew in the wind after I wished my worries away bring back delicate memories.
Watching those seeds fly in the wind erased a bit of sadness as I daydreamed of a happy life.
As I got older, so did the distance between myself and nature. Instead, I let the clutter and chaos build in my mind without a healthy way to cope.
When the chaos and clutter got too much to bear, I broke down, and memories of the dandelion brought me back to life.
Dandelions are often thought of to be a nuisance and a weed that gardeners rid of from healthy lawns.
While the white dandelions from my youth, the ones that blow in the wind, symbolize youth, grief, purity, and healing, it makes sense why these were brought into my sight at a young age.
The innocence of a young child often flocks to these flowers because they are fun to blow away.
The innocence of my childhood blew away in the wind a little with each wish.
I never expected a wish to come true but it was always fun to watch the white seeds drift.
During my adult years, I needed peace more than ever and found myself being drawn to large fields of grass. There is one moment that is always so clear in my memory bank.
I’d fallen badly, not literally but figuratively, and came to find myself lying in blades of grass with sporadic yellow dandelions throughout. I was lost and had no idea how to claw my way out of the pit of despair.
I lay there with my eyes closed and seeking guidance. When I opened my eyes, there were about 20 birds, all in a V shape.
I marveled at the sight and how they all remained perfectly aligned. Still, to this day, I am awestruck when I see birds in flight.
This V shape conserves the energy of each bird following the leader. Each bird is slightly in front of the one following which reduces the wind resistance, making it easier to fly.
They need each other and actually use the help of the bird in the lead. It makes their migration easier.
An epiphany came to me. I can’t do this alone without the guidance and help from others. I was always too stubborn to need help from anyone. That got me nowhere but looking down.
As I continued to look up and marvel, I knew that I needed to seek external guidance for my struggles.
After the birds fly off into the distance, I recognize the beauty in the yellow dandelion. The flower is just a weed and nuisance to many.
For me, this dandelion brings hope and healing. I later came to know that they are edible and used for medicinal reasons in many parts of the world. Makes sense!
I fell again because once wasn’t enough, and again I found myself seeking nature to heal. Each time I stumbled in life, I knew where to go.
When I had to think of my happy place in therapy, I am right there in that field of grass and dandelions with the birds flying in a V formation about me. Nature brings much peace when chaos ensues in the mind.
Now, I use nature for many reasons when I need guidance. Even though I usually would seek guidance in nature when my life was spiraling out of control, I now appreciate it during many other stages.
I seek inspiration out in nature. When I am on a quest for new topics and ideas, a walk out in nature with a great podcast makes me feel a sense of peace and enlightenment.
Creativity is sparked and the words flow after a nature break.
Also, anytime I am vacationing, I find myself looking for the tranquility that nature draws. On our recent trip, we began with city life because I knew how I would feel after a few days in a bustling metropolitan area.
On our drive out into the country, a wave of calm spread over me like a bird flying in a V when I saw the rolling green countryside of England.
I’ve learned to listen to the intuition of my body and the cues that alert me when nature is needed. I find myself daydreaming of being amongst the trees, the greenery, the fields, and of course, the dandelions.
When I was younger, I loved being in cities. Back then, my life was chaotic, and staying in chaos was sometimes easier than breaking free. It was only when I stumbled that I sought nature.
Because we grow and evolve, so do our interests and where we want to spend our time. I find myself trying to steer clear of big city life most of the time.
The best part of our recent trip was to the Scottish Highlands. My eyes have never witnessed something so green and lush. It was stunning, to say the least.
What I would have done to exit the bus and lay in the wet fields of green. Maybe next time I am there, I will do just that.
I am sure an extreme wave of peace would rush through my entire being.
I would probably look up and see the birds in a V formation, as I have many times when I need tranquility.
This was inspired and in response to Sahil Patel’s prompt and Dr. Preeti Singh’s story “How I Am Inspired by Nature”.
I resonated deeply with this prompt and from the stories of others.
I love how Marianne O found nature inside of busy San Francisco while benefitting from its restorative power.
Josephine Crispin found the answers that she needed within herself from the guidance of a particular species of trees. I had goosebumps after reading her story.
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Thanks for reading!
Much love, Michele