I’ve been reading The Evolved Nest: Nature’s Way of Raising Children and Creating Connected Communities by Darcia Narvaez and G.A. Bradshaw, and have been in awe of it so far. One piece has continued to resonate with me lately.
Narvaez and Bradshaw explore the work of naturalist Charlie Russell and his work with bears. And a quote they pulled from him says, “People talk about how peaceful they feel being in nature. I think what they’re feeling is the harmony which comes with mutual respect.”
Harmony. Mutual Respect.
I felt the soul settling that comes from understanding and grasping something previously not fully understood. I’ve always loved nature, and especially since becoming a mother it’s one of my favorite places to be with my sons. I have described it as peaceful and rejuvenating. It’s a place I most often encounter God, in His spectacular intentionality. But I’ve never noticed that it also represents a harmony and mutual respect we often miss in man-made creations.
In nature, we see respect and belonging. We see give and take. We see a cohesiveness that isn’t devoid of pain and hurt, but cyclical. That pain and hurt are followed by rebirth and flourishing.
It’s harmony and mutual respect.
It’s something we can achieve as humans, but something we have seemed to have strayed away from. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get it back.
So, when the weather allows and the time opens up. Go step outside. There are squirrels running around. Woodpeckers pecking for food. Geese flying overhead. And soon, quite soon, we are about to see the spectacular regrowth of spring. Don’t miss it. Go and see and experience the harmony and mutual respect of creation, and it will likely influence how you embrace and approach various encounters in your own life.
Warmly,
Kylie Larson, MA, LPC
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