April 23, 2013

the land and I

It is a responsibility to be a good steward of the land.  


   Before I pick up my tools and go “work”, I look at it from all sides, 
north, east, south and west  
I consider 
how what I do today will impact the earth, trees, rocks, birds.    

The trees and rocks have been on this piece of land 
far longer than I.  
I am the newcomer here.

I ask creator to guide my hand.  
And I ask permission of the rocks and trees before I work. 
 When I am finished, I thank them 


 I stop often maybe every ten feet or 10 minutes to clean up, 
to tidy what I have done.  
Each time I stop I reevaluate to be assured that all is well, 
that I am not taking too much, or too little, 
that what is being done is being done in a good way.

 Each of these steps is a meditation.   

At the end of the day I want to leave the work area better
 than when I walked into it  
for I might never pass this way again, 
but anyone walking in behind me will find it pleasing to their eye and soul.

  Clearing up little bit by little bit means
 I can walk away, leave the job at any time
 and know no mess is left behind. 
To me this is important.  Do I always do this?  I try.   

I want the land
 easy to walk, 
easy on the eyes 
~ comfortable, comforting and uplifting.
It is my home, my church, my universe, a park, a school, all in one.


Until I learned I was a guest here on the land, not an owner …
until I learned to respect all those that had been here for millennium 
working the land did not fall into place.  
This is an ongoing lesson for me remembering my place, 
treating each tree, rock with respect, 
working slowly, 
taking care (care taking)the land.  

We play god 
when we take the life of a tree, or move a rock or limb a tree. 

Each little thing we do impacts the universe.

 A huge responsibility when you consider it that way.


With beauty before me,
May I walk
With beauty behind me,
May I walk
With beauty above me,
May I walk
With beauty below me,
May I walk
With beauty all around me,
May I walk
Wandering on a trail of beauty,
Lively, I walk.

Navajo