Through the Eyes of a Child
This time around, I decided to host another voice, a much younger one, to speak on behalf of One Forest World.
I’m honored to introduce you to Mika, my 9 year old granddaughter. The following is a transcript of a conversation that we had in my backwoods a few weeks ago. Here, we talk about nature, the forests and its many wonders, and how this wonderful world we inhabit shows up as our teacher and our healer and our friend. Please enjoy.
Amanda (A): Mika, thank you for talking with me today about our forests and nature. I’m so glad you’re here!
Mika (M): Me, too.
A: Can you tell me….how do you feel when you’re outside in nature?
M: It makes me feel good, it makes me feel happy.
A: That’s wonderful. How does it make you feel happy?
M: Like, when I just sit down in the grass, it calms me down whenever I feel full of anger.
A: Wow, it sounds like it has a way to relax you.
M: Yes. I feel different ways, but I feel the same way too.
A: That’s really interesting.
How do you feel about the trees around us?
M: I actually feel really really good about them, they help us to survive.
A: How do they do that?
M: They breathe in what we breathe out and we breathe in what they breathe out. We talked about that yesterday.
A: You’re right, we did.
What do you think about all the creatures that live in the forest?
M: Well, that picture of the fairy that you showed me, remember?
(Mika is referring to a photo I captured on a forest walk a couple of years ago. Within the “mushroom orb”, is an image of what I perceive is a young boy with arms crossed, a “fairy” if you will. 😉 I was unable to enlarge it without it losing its form here, so you probably can’t see it, but trust me, it’s there. And it’s really fascinating how those I have shown it to see different images within the orb, if anything at all.)
A: I do remember!
M: Now, I know that fairies are definitely real!
A: What or who else lives in the forest?
M: Moths, caterpillars, centipedes. Whenever I took a walk near my house when I was little, I saw a little red centipede. It was really red.
A: So, there are all kinds of colors in the forest?
M: Um hmm and different kinds of centipedes.
A: What kinds of things could we make in the forest, would you say? Could we make art?
M: Yes, we can.
A: Give me some ideas…
M: Well, that time in Jacob’s Park, I made a little boat. I used some bark that fell off a tree and I used a little dried leaf to poke a hole with a little tiny stick and then I used some more grass, I think it was onion grass, but that’s ok. I tied a knot and made a nature boat and put it in the water.
A: So we can be creative in nature-
M: And we made a fort here, remember?
A: I sure do, I like to play in the woods too.
What do you notice about the world we’re living in?
M: I notice there’s a lot of living things, there’s the circle of life cause everything happens for a reason.
A: Hmmmm
M: Like, some animals eat other animals, you know?
A: They do.
(I had no idea at the time, but 2 weeks later, after Mika and I spoke, I lost a very young chick to a raccoon from our chicken coop. I cried buckets all that day, mourning the loss of this being, and her words came back to haunt me. These words eventually came to comfort me as I had to remind myself that yes, indeed, the circle of life must include death. And while thinking about this, I questioned my distress with these animals (raccoons and others like them) who came long before I did to this land, and dare I say have greater ownership than me, as it has been their home for who knows how long. A complex problem that requires a thoughtful response.)
M: And some animals make new life. Mostly mammals, I think. Oh-A beautiful little bumblebee (bee flew by 🐝)
I feel really good about nature cause everything happens for a reason and I love that because if nothing happened for a reason, then there would be no meaning to life.
A: You’re absolutely right.
Are there ways we can show nature we love her?
M: You can visit trees and water them, in case they have dry bark to help them regrow, we can plant more trees to help the environment so they can have a bigger population.
A: Is there anything else you would like to say to Mother Earth before we go, Mika?
M: That I’m happy that God made the world and the forests and life.
A: That’s wonderful, Mika, me too.
M: Here’s a yellow flower for you.
A: Thank you, my love.
A visit at Jacob’s Nature Park
Get outside….
Notice more….
Play….
Create….
Appreciate….
Here’s a link about nature art to help you get into the spirit: NATURE ART – Ideas, Inspiration, Insight | Healing Forest
Thank you again, Mika, for your insightful words, your vision, and just for being You!
Til next we meet in the forest…
Love,
Amanda ❤️
