CHANGE (A story)

This is the path that leads me into the magic of our ravine. My Wolfhound, Ben and I would venture down into the ravine all throughout the year, even in the frigid cold of winter, and with much stealth, we would spend hours in silence, amongst the animal pathways - discovering even more pathways that would take us even further into the depths.

 

We would run into the occasional coyote, moose, deer, beaver, woodpecker, owl and of course, way too many obnoxious squirrels that took great pleasure to announce our otherwise, covert presence. There was always an adventure to be had!

 

The ravine used to be a place of solitude.

 

Since Covid has reared its ugly head, our ravine has been discovered. It is incredibly busy now. Entourages of families, walking or biking. Children hooting and hollering as they gain momentum, biking down the hill, the sweet, musky perfume of the ravine awakening their senses. Lovers, hand in hand, hiding in the bush - or so they think, stealing kisses amongst the many hiding places. I know them all. Photographers, hired to take photos of children, families, couples and wedding parties amongst the falling wardrobe of my favourite trees. Joggers. People with their dogs.

 

So many people! People that I have never seen before! How did they find our ravine?

 

My husband and I took our dogs to the ravine last night, just as we have done thousands of times before. There were so many people! We paused by the creek, away from everyone and immersed ourselves in the unfolding symphony of Autumn. I had a euphony. I told him.

 

 

“I feel like every time I come down here, I am not making

memories anymore, instead, I find myself recalling the memories.

I must be getting old…”

 

He didn’t say anything.

 

I want to covet my ravine. I want to keep it for myself. I don’t want to share it! I want to come into the cathedral of trees, and remember the years I shared with them, my husband, my children, my dogs, my family, my friends.

 

I know there are many life lessons to be learned in this ravine. It is a place of refuge. A place of discovery. A place to talk, to pray, to wish, to hope. It is a place where I found snippets of peace in a world gone mad.

 

Life is about change - I am keenly aware of that fact. I know I need to adapt. I know that I need to, in quiet resignation, share my ravine with the intruders and those that dare to walk the path into the magic. They too could benefit from the many gifts that the forest has to offer and perhaps if they learned to respect this hallowed place then the legacy of it would carry on.

 

I will snicker to myself though, for there is one thing that I know that these new people will never know and it comes from walking these paths for hours, days, years. In the darkness of the evening the sentinels of the forests, our beautiful trees, clock out, and go off duty. They uproot themselves and to the lull of the wind and the music of the night they become as children, liberated, dancing, and frolicking in unabated abandonment, casting shadows throughout the forest. When the whimsy is over they take their positions - but not in the same place as the day before. They are always just a tad off. Perhaps, they too, have come to the realization that we do not live in a perfect world and that change is necessary. They don’t fool me though! I have walked the paths way too long to know better. I can see what they are up to in their quiet rebellion and you can be sure this is one secret I will not share…

 

 

 

Done