Dear Humans,

I went for a walk with my great shamanic teacher this week, Jackson Joyful, the sacred Labradoofus and supreme state inducer!

We walked a little and then found our favorite spot in our forest, our meditation rock at the stream.

Inspired by my recent reading of philosopher Jacob Needleman, being here reminded of the great lesson I have yet still to learn: to stay in one place a little longer. Be present and open to the moment, to slow down and not rush out of presence, not to force my way back into the seeming importance of the “requirements” of my life.

We lingered … a little longer.

As we got up to leave our spot, I suddenly became still–painfully so–and allowed the moment to be. Perhaps two human minutes of standing… dropping human expectation and allowing, a group of songbirds flew down and landed in the trees in front of us. Cardinals, bluebirds, bluejays; all traveling in pairs, and surprisingly mixed breeds flying together. And then–as my breath and attention slowed even further–a pair of Cowbirds touched down.

Be still…. Cowbird is yet another one of my great teachers.

My dear friend the Cowbird–who I endearingly named MeMe– reminded me that my life is not only about or for me. When he came last summer, my human interpretation was that he seemed to fall in love with his own reflection such that he wasted the spring and never found a mate.

Well, at last, I witness a pair of Cowbirds, tweetly meet meeting each other, seeming to laugh and cajole as they courted and played together in the tree tops above us.

As we stood there, tears streamed down my face. In awe of the birds, I was relieved that my bird-dog was as captivated as I was. So enthralled, he didn’t chase them and …  I didn’t feel the need to photograph them. We simply stood there, not waiting for anything specific, and let the magic of nature and the moment reveal.

Come to the woods with us…

I wish you nature and beauty. I pray for your deep earthly human love this 45th Earth Day, and always. Mother Earth needs you. She needs us. What can we do to respectfully celebrate our love for Earth today? For me, I hope to linger a little longer… to be conscious and be grateful.