Soul Rooting
Late summer stillness — photo by Susan Izard
Dear Soul Friends,
The weather changed this past week and there is a hint of autumn in the air. Most families have finished their summer holidays and the lake is quiet. It is a favorite time of year for my husband and me to take an afternoon paddle in our old wooden canoe. We like to stay close to the shoreline to see the subtle changes as the trees begin to change. Some of the almond shaped leaves on tupelo trees have turned a bright crimson along with a few red maple leaves and blueberry bushes. In a few weeks, the lush green of late summer will become a canvas of red, orange and yellow. It is a bittersweet time as the earth releases the long, languid days of summer and surrenders to the crisp glory of fall in New England.
I have enjoyed living among the trees these past few weeks. Early in our vacation, my ecologist brother-in-law identified a few old growth tupelo trees on the edge of the lake. One of them is the largest tupelo that he has ever seen. After taking some measurements and sending the information to a tupelo tree expert, he learned that it could be the largest and oldest tupelo in New Hampshire, up to seven hundred years old. It is delightful to imagine what the first hundred years were like back around 1426. Were there loons and eagles? Was the forest as thick as is today or was it just beginning to evolve? What are the roots of this tree like? Do they extend under the lake waters as well as the land? After visiting it a few times, I realized that having the tree nearby is like living with a very old soul. Could it be inviting us to know more about our own soul roots? Does it invite us to a deeper listening and awakening to the ancient story of life?
The best way I know how to listen to my soul is to stop and look for the abundant soul invitations that unfold during the day. What do I need to give thanks for? What do I need to open my heart to? Am I being patient and kind, or grumpy and disengaged? Have I taken the time to write a few words of reflection or have I rushed into my day thinking the events on the calendar are urgent and imperative? Soul rooting feeds us with the fullness of life and gives us hope in a world that is filled with suffering and difficulties. Soul rooting sustains us.
Henry David Thoreau wrote,
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake,
not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.
As you go through your week, may you be blessed by the gift of quiet reflection. May you notice a moment when you feel rooted in your soul and a part of the ancient story of life and love.
Deep peace to you,
Susan
