The Wind

There is a silent force that calls to me.

Perhaps, handed down through the years by my ancestors.

If you know me, it is no surprise that I am a nature girl, a tree hugger, if you will.   I find wonder in all of it, down to the smallest acorn.

A part of my family, which came before, was Native American.  I believe that their spirits are still with me and govern my appreciation for Mother Earth.

One fall day, Charlie and I took a walk in the woods, behind my home.   You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.  The sun was shining, the air was so still and the crisp hint of fall was so apparent.

Charlie was more interested in the stream and how muddy he could get, as dogs do.

So, there I stood in the woods, near a stream.  It felt like home to me, it always does.  I closed my eyes and took in the scent of the leaves that had fallen.  I felt as though one with the earth.

See, to me, this is a true treasure.   I am not impressed with the riches of people.  I am impressed with nature and all of the beauty and lessons that it offers us.  To me, it is one of God's truest gifts.

The Indians used this stream to transport their goods so many years ago, as did the local glass company many years after that.   But now, it was a lonely stream in my backyard.     

As I continued my walk something came over me, the feeling of having to search for something.  I don't know how or why but, it just felt that way.

So, I walked and walked further.   I came upon a huge tree that had fallen and I thought of what tales that tree could tell from all the years that it has spent on this earth.   I'm sure it has witness so much since it was a sapling.

As I turned to walk away, the last couple of leaves that were on the tree that stood right next to me, started to blow, as if an isolated breeze had poccessed them.  But, there was no breeze in the air, it was still.  I remember thinking to myself, "okay, I get it, keep looking".

The tree that had fallen landed as a perfect bridge across the stream. On my side was the very large uprooted trunk.  This is where my search began and as it did the leaves on the tree that was still standing, stopped blowing, as if to say... "Yes, right here".

So, there I sat on the ground.  In front of me were the large roots of this wise old tree.  Entangled in them, were stones, dirt and sand.  I sat there on the ground looking through the roots and digging at the dirt.      

I'm not sure how much time had passed.  It didn't really matter. 

The stones that I found were all so different from the others.  Like someone had taken each one from a different area and moved them to this location.  I'm sure they were placed there when the tree was just starting out, as they were so deep into the roots.   

Then I found it.   Wedged beneath this wise old tree, so far embedded into its roots... was an arrowhead.  Crude in it's detail but none the less an Indian arrowhead.  I can't tell you the extent of how this made me feel.  It's very hard to explain.

I felt as though I was chosen to find this, for some reason.    I felt so honored.

The reason became very apparent to me a couple of months later. 

A local company, through the politics of local government was allowed to purchase that very piece of land.  They expanded their travel trailer business, storage area.   The trees were ripped down and taken away, in that area.  They even took that wise old tree.

The arrowhead is in a safe place.   It will stay that way for as long as I am able, then perhaps, the spirits will ask someone else to keep it safe.

I'm not special by any means.... But, I do listen with my heart.   There is so much to hear.