It’s been a while since my last hike. The hills are struggling and the landscape is dry. It is difficult for me to see nature hurting. It seems like everything on this earth is hurting right now. To see nature in pain, while I try to process my pain, is what has held me back from hiking. It would undue me.
The weather has cooled finally, the rain has come, and I have hopes for the wilderness to have had some time to heal.
If you see a woman sobbing on a trail, just let her be. I hope I do not come across any hikers today because I have so much I need to process. I have so much to share with God. This is my church, the trail. This is where I am free to be unabashedly me. This is the ONE place where my humongous emotions are welcome, received, and reciprocated.
Nature is love. Nature is healing.
I hope for everyone to spend some time tending to their feelings. If you can do that in nature, just feel and watch the wilderness interact with your emotions and your thoughts, it is powerful and restorative. If you do go into nature, please put all devices down and focus on you and the natural world present around you. I do listen to my music on the trail for motivation and to drown out any people in the area, but I spend the time away from technology and focus on healing the mind, body, and soul.
My prayers on the trail are for Palestine. May God protect Palestine and keep Palestine safe. May Palestinians know they are loved and their lives matter. May Palestine be free, God.
From the river to the sea, may Palestine be free. May the whole world be free.
Protest. BE UNGOVERNABLE. Volunteer. Organize. Boycott. Vote 3rd party. Contact elected officials. Share the stories from Palestine. Share the news from Palestine. Share the history of Palestine. Please extend that energy to the areas of the world affected by genocide and fight for the people of the Congo, Sudan, West Papua, Uyghurs, and Armenia.
These were the only flowers on the trail today. 10 miles, no flowers but these priceless gems. I dedicate them to Palestine. A bloom in a harsh environment. All my love to you, Palestine.