Even though I have only been in San Francisco two weeks, I’ve already visited Muir Woods twice.
Cathedral Grove
The trees are hundreds of years old and the section of the park named “Cathedral Grove” is aptly named. There I stood, dwarfed by trees in all directions, humbled by their lifespans and all they had seen.
How many people have gazed at them, taken pictures of them, hugged their torsos? How many storms have they weathered? How many animals lived and died under their shelter? I took an hour for myself, just to experience them–imagining that my hour with them was only a blink in their lifetimes.
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash
The Gift in Silence
I’m always taken back by the power of silence. The possibility for true quiet in this park is unlike anywhere I’ve been (if you go on a weekday). I once read a book inviting the reader to listen for silence and the gaps in noise. It suggested that within the spaces between sound lied the secrets of the universe. I listened and the message was simple: be and enjoy.
I originally planned to write in my journal while in the woods but words were distracting me from life! Rather than asking you to continue to read, I invite you to accept a moment of silence, a breath of reverence for your life, and all that lives around you.
I took my 9 year old grandthing, Jasmine, to visit the Redwoods of Northern CA last summer. She absolutely loved the trees, the atmosphere, the filtered sunlight, the moss, the rivulets of water running through the underbrush.
Sounds wonderful!
What an inspiring read Jacqueline!
I often muse at the “majesty” of Mother Nature and I am constantly left breathless as the souls of the earth envelop me on my travels. Nothing quite prepares you for the wonderment of your first experience in a redwood forest and the feeling that you are at one with nature and that you and the trees are entwined together in this magical journey we call life.
Archibald
Thanks for commenting, Archibald! Trees are pretty incredible!
Yes, we truly hear what is inside us—in the heart of silence…..
Good point, Jayita!