I’d like to take a walk in the forest. To feel the wind graze my face with all the essence it has captured on the way to me. I want to walk in the forest to hear the buzzing of the bugs, to listen to their melodies of soft hymns of their world. I want to walk in the forest and find a clearing, a field of wild flowers being bathed in the sun calling out for life and adventure. I want to climb the forests cliffs and sit upon a sodden rock overlooking the vast beauty of God’s artistry. I want to walk in the forest to hear the sirens of the trees as I watch furry friends fly through their treetops. I want to walk in the forest to listen to the hooves of animals trample the ground with the same beat of my broken heart.

I want to take a walk in the forest for it is in the forest I can be me. No delusion of the girl who struggles with emotional and physical agitation. Just the animals and I, surrounded by nature, the way God intended. In the forest I can fall onto my knees in the soft soil, the remnants I awaken scattering seeds and dust in every direction. It is there, in the forest, on my knees where I can confide in God my deepest secrets without watchful eyes to judge. Deep within the forest away from the water to catch my breath.

I remember a book as a child of a forest and all that it encompassed. It spoke of the evergreen trees I would love to hug, of the scent of pine and cedar, of the masculinity of the machines that create the oxygen I breathe. It spoke of the budding ferns, the architectural plant, that opened up to help fulfill the decorative scenery of the forest floor. And as I remember this book I realize a walk in the forest will end with me as tall as the trees. It is a place where my heart becomes gentle, my soul filled, my heartache lost.

In the forest you can hear the humming of your heart as it converses with the voices in your brain. You can hear the low laughter of the forest fairies. In the forest you will hear the songs of the finches and chickadees. The chatter of the chipmunks and squirrels, the scurrying of forest mice and whistlepigs, the knocking of the woodpeckers and squeals of the hawks. All the sounds of the forest enveloping you, making you one with the magic of its solidarity.

Any thing that is broken will be lifted by the breeze that sweeps the forest, crossing each burrow, cave, hole and nest. The reflections caught by the dew shows the brilliance of the sun peeking through the canopies. It is in the forest nothing can hurt you, the earth sings you sweet lullabies, the perfect place for werifesteria. The ability to witness miracles after miracles as you watch spiders spin their webs, caterpillars morph into butterflies, bears awaken from hibernation.

 I want to take a walk in the forest to be a part of a natural adventure, to be immersed in the secret laughter of the sprites, to be forced to go back to basics. I want to take a walk in the forest where my secrets will be held, my tears will be dried, my strength renewed. I want to take a walk in the forest to find rest, my very being, and undeniable happiness. I want to take a walk in the forest where I stand side by side with God to be blessed with His creation, His presence, and His forgiveness. Then, maybe then, I will open my eyes and see the horizons of another day and the healing of the scars.