Choosing the Path of Hope

The Path of Promise

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Northern NY woods - I got lost that day…

Dear Reader,

Some thoughts on Paths - yet another example of Nature being such a wonderful metaphor for Life.

Well, I am 71 years old now
(although sometimes I feel like
a child still - not in an immature
kind of way, but in a
playful way)
and when you get to this age
I think you can choose one
of two paths
The bitter path -
the one that is brambled
and parched and
reminds you of all
the hardships of
your life
The one that snares you
in its thorny branches and makes
you bleed
over and over
again
Or the other Path -
the one that is worn
but is born from
Clarity
Optimism
Faith
Hope
Promise

The forest (your life)
might have burned down
but now the (second) Path
leads you through
beautiful new growth
that was only possible
from having been through
the fire
There is more light
coming through the branches
now, and
the birds have returned
singing sweet songs
and the Path is filled
with infinite destinations
and possibilities.

I have chosen the latter
It is easy for me
reflecting back
to name the things
the major things
that brought me to
my knees
flames leaping all around
life as I knew it
changed.

This morning
writing in my journal
I did something
I rarely do
I looked back
all the way back
to my birth
and wrote down
each and every
trauma
AKA fire
that I’ve survived
in all of
these years.

I won’t share them
here
It’s not important
that you know them.
There have been big
raging fires
some mini ones
big enough to do damage but
not permanently scar me
And even a few
still smoldering ones
that keep trying to
re-ignite
I filled three pages
in my notebook
Amazed at my resilience

I love Paths
I love to discover them
to photograph them
to follow them and
see where they
will lead me
I’ve been lost
more than a few times
both on the actual Path
and the metaphorical one

This Path I’ve chosen
Number Two
not
Number One
is the Path that was
born only partly of all the
pain in my past
because there has also been
Joy
lots and lots of Joy

The Path is lush now
and green
mysterious
and magical, and
it beckons me
to the wondrous
years I have yet
to live
on this planet

There may be
more fires
more pain and suffering
and loss
but I will always choose
the second Path
The Path of Hope
The Path of Promise
The Path that my
soul came here
to walk
this time around.

Much love,
Barbara

P.S. The photo above was taken by me the first time I ever got officially lost in the woods alone. I was spending some time at the Omega Institute in upstate New York, a place I used to love visiting. I went there to learn, grow (still growing in my 50s and 60s), and spend time in Nature.

I remember walking into the office and asking if they had a map because I get lost easily. The kindly staff woman said, “Oh, you can’t get lost out there. You’re always right on the edge of the cabins.”

But I did get lost. It was a picture-perfect fall day, so the Path was covered with leaves, and the dots on the trees, meant to mark the Path, were mostly faded. Even if they had been more visible, I would have missed them because my eyes were turned upward at the colorful canvas above me.

I was truly lost (or at least, turned around) for about an hour and only remember a few moments of panic. After that, I might as well have died and gone to heaven. Nature has a way of doing that to us, drawing us into the present moment. I was living in the city at that time, and so being in Nature in the moment was solid gold, like the tree canopy above me.

I know that I’ve shared this sweet video before, but it captures how I felt that day so perfectly.

P.P.S. Speaking of the forest, I have a freshly infused batch of Forest Oil for sale. The only ingredients are White Pine, Eastern Hemlock, Balsam Fir, and Jojoba Oil. There are no added essential oils, which are often added to enhance the scent.

All three of these Evergreen trees are deeply healing, both internally and externally. This Forest Oil is for external use only on the skin.

Some of the healing properties of these trees are:

• High levels of Vitamin C

• Antimicrobial

• Antiinflammatory

• Antibacterial

• Can prevent infection in wounds and burns

• High in antioxidants

• Promotes healing of sore muscles and joints

• Healing for both the respiratory and immune systems

• A natural aromatherapy that helps to reduce anxiety and depression

I’ve chosen to infuse the Evergreens in Jojoba Oil because it also has many healing properties for the skin. Jojoba oil is close to our skin’s natural oils, has a long shelf life, and a neutral scent, so it doesn’t interfere with the scent of the trees.

While you don’t ingest this oil, you can rub it on your chest for lung infections and breathe it in by rubbing it into your hands. It smells like an Evergreen forest and is the next best thing to being in one.

My favorite thing to do (aside from rubbing it all over my body) is to rub it into my hands before meditation, at bedtime, or whenever I’m feeling anxious or sad, and inhale it deeply. It instantly calms me and lifts my mood.

I’ve read that it can also work as a bug repellent, so I’ll try that out very soon as Bug Season approaches. :(

I collect freshly fallen branches from these plentiful trees after a windstorm, so they are fresh, but I don’t need to damage the trees. They’re infused for several weeks in the Jojoba oil.

A lot of love and intention go into making this oil for you (and for me!) I wander these woods almost daily. It’s both a deciduous and an evergreen forest. I believe that the trees know me and we have a bond. I hope you’ll be able to feel our energy and love if you choose to try our Forest Oil.

The cost is $33.00 plus shipping for a 4-oz bottle. If you’re a Paid Subscriber (thank you!), please reach out to me for a $5.00 off coupon.

Here are a few photos of the trees that helped in the making of the oil. 🌲🌲🌲 The fairies who helped are still a little shy and don’t like to be photographed. 🧚🧚

Evergreen Love

Thank you for your heartfelt comments, your subscriptions (free or paid), or just for stopping by and reading or listening to The Quaking Poplar 🌳!