“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”

— Sean O’Casey

As I sat in the woods yesterday, waiting for the last group of children to leave the pumpkin patch, the peaceful energy of nature consumed me so that waiting required no patience and time seemed irrelevant.  It is rare in our busy lives to have such opportunities to leave it all behind and simply be, with no need to achieve or do anything in particular.  Yesterday was one of those wonderful days in the woods.  It had rained overnight and into the early morning.  The leaves of Autumn glistened like jewels, with even more color called to life by their shiny new coating.  The animals were silent, most of them hiding away and awaiting the return of the sun.  Only a turtle, rescued by the tractor driver from the center of the path, seemed to consider the weather to his liking.

There, amid the whispering trees, with only the breeze in the treetops and the second rain released by the leaves as they were stirred, I felt more than surrounded — engulfed — in the peaceful vibration of the autumn woods.  Emptying my mind of any thoughts or worries, I let it in; and the harmony of an unspoiled place became my own.  My heart soon matched the rhythm of nature’s pulse, and a great sense of peace surrounded me.

As I sat in that peaceful state, I suddenly became aware that I was not alone.  A tiny thrush had taken up a perch only three feet from where I sat.  He looked at me, cocking his little head from side to side; and deciding that I belonged in his world, he settled in and began to sing.

There we sat, both vibrating to the beautiful harmony of the woods on a wet morning.  No longer was I an alien presence.  Soon I began to speak to him softly, matching the sound of my voice to his singing, careful not to create any more disturbance than he could bear.

I’ve heard it said that everything vibrates, everything is energy; and my communion with the thrush makes me wonder again how many more worlds we might experience if we can learn to match our own frequency to the hidden places that lie all around.  What a joyful experience to enter the space of a tiny bird and feel that we were one.