I’ve read this three times. I still have goosebumps. This is such a moving meditation for my morning, Allison. Just beautiful. Truly. Your writing lens is deeply wise and oh so clear.
It’s a trite one, but I handle butterflies at the library. We have an ongoing program where we (me) scoop up caterpillars from our library garden out back. Place them in a four foot tall box in the foyer so customers of all ages can witness the marvelous transformation that is the life cycle from egg to caterpillar to gooey chrysalis to gorgeous butterfly.
From May to September, I feed the caterpillars fresh milkweed and fennel every day. I clean up the poop, called frass. That hungry caterpillar who eats a lot? It also poops a lot. When they are ready, the fat, furry caterpillars climb to the top of the box, get in J position and spin their chrysalis. After they have what is an often messy emerging, I let the butterfly dry its wings for a few hours and gain some confidence to fly, then I gather whatever children are around, we take the box outside, and I set it free.
Ah. So many beautiful lessons from this particular creature Nature has gifted us.
It is not lost on me that I took this job and acquired this task just as I was getting sober, approaching a separation and starting my new life.
Ok, now I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS. This is so beautiful, Rosemary. I'm particularly moved by how you "let the butterfly dry its wings for a few hours and gain some confidence to fly". Don't we all need space to gather the courage to take flight? And I could visualize you and all the kids setting it free.
And the fact that you began this butterfly "duty" as you were getting sober and going through your own transformation is so kismet! Nature likes to show us how we ought to move in the world.
And the "messy emerging" - oooof. Isn't it, though? Isn't it messy to break out of old patterns and emerge? There may be no better metaphor than this!
Such a lovely share and reminder, Allison. I consider my cats my teachers (though one of them isn’t so quiet, ha). It’s wild to me how they’ll be running around like crazy, after whatever there’re after (kitty treats, mostly), then plop down into a fully serene, meditative state in an instant. They’re so present, so focused on the immediate moment, and have mastered the art of fully relaxing (whereas I don’t even come close!).
Fully relaxing, what is THAT?!?! I am on the quest for that as well. The immediate moment, when we can land in it, feels so serene. It's the staying there, being consistent enough with mindfulness, where I struggle.
I love how our animals teach us so much without saying a word.
Visiting my sister in CA this weekend. Took in the sunset at the beach last night and it reminded me I didn’t need to “do” anything in that moment, I could just soak it in and be.
I love that, Josh! My struggle in moments like that is to not document it. Not reach for my phone to capture the beauty. My mind can capture it all and that is enough. Something I’m still working on 😑
Yes! This has become so important to me in my sobriety journey. The teachers are everywhere. By turning off the noise, slowing down and connecting with nature I find a sense of peace and harmony. It takes practice 🙂
It definitely takes practice but what I'm finding is the connection, once out fully immersed in nature, is the PULL back in. Once you get in that meditative state, you want more and so you willingly turn down the noise and slow down the walking/running. It's the best! Thanks for sharing, Colleen. xoxo
This is so beautiful, Allison! What poetry you've spun from the actions (or inactions) of your quiet teachers!
My nine-year-old sons are often my (not at all quiet but inadvertent!) teachers, giving me the chance to learn lessons from things that I might not see without them. A few months ago, of them was almost finished in the bath and was trying to blow out the candle I'd lit for him on the far end of the tub. Sitting in the middle of the bath, at a safe distance from the flame, he was blowing and blowing, and the flame would waver but stay alight. So I told him that sometimes, in order to fix a problem, we need to take ourselves closer to its centre. While our inclination might be to keep our distance - staying away from a hot flame is usually advisable - sometimes the best thing we can do is get up really close to a problem, close enough to feel its heat... It will burn you if you're not careful, but you'll be better placed to see all of it. I picked up the candle and brought it close to his little face. Then one puff, and it was out.
Thank you so much for the reminder to keep an eye out for our gentlest teachers. x
I don't know what to say other than that this was so beautiful and moving to read. <3 For me, it's the changing seasons. I always feel like there's a kind of indescribable wisdom my body is absorbing when I feel that shift in the air.
I know what you mean, Nico. I feel the same - hard to articulate the feeling exactly but as the landscape outside changes, things inside shift as well.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your experience.
How lovely, your little ditty! You have captured so beautifully with these images & lessons our nature teachers. I will be looking for them on my long Camino walk. And good luck with the difficult & challenging piece of writing you’re working on. I have no doubt you’ll bring forth the fruit of your labor.
Oh the Camino walk will be loaded with lessons and nature’s teachers. What a rich environment that will be! You must be so excited (you leave Monday, right?)
Wow Allison! This was just what I needed to start my morning. Thank you for sharing. I'm going to keep my eye out for quiet teachers. Yours made me feel so safe.
Fabulous piece Allison! One of the many things that sobriety has taught me is that length means nothing, quality and depth wins all the ways and your piece is full of those today ❤️
I’ve read this three times. I still have goosebumps. This is such a moving meditation for my morning, Allison. Just beautiful. Truly. Your writing lens is deeply wise and oh so clear.
It’s a trite one, but I handle butterflies at the library. We have an ongoing program where we (me) scoop up caterpillars from our library garden out back. Place them in a four foot tall box in the foyer so customers of all ages can witness the marvelous transformation that is the life cycle from egg to caterpillar to gooey chrysalis to gorgeous butterfly.
From May to September, I feed the caterpillars fresh milkweed and fennel every day. I clean up the poop, called frass. That hungry caterpillar who eats a lot? It also poops a lot. When they are ready, the fat, furry caterpillars climb to the top of the box, get in J position and spin their chrysalis. After they have what is an often messy emerging, I let the butterfly dry its wings for a few hours and gain some confidence to fly, then I gather whatever children are around, we take the box outside, and I set it free.
Ah. So many beautiful lessons from this particular creature Nature has gifted us.
It is not lost on me that I took this job and acquired this task just as I was getting sober, approaching a separation and starting my new life.
Ok, now I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS. This is so beautiful, Rosemary. I'm particularly moved by how you "let the butterfly dry its wings for a few hours and gain some confidence to fly". Don't we all need space to gather the courage to take flight? And I could visualize you and all the kids setting it free.
And the fact that you began this butterfly "duty" as you were getting sober and going through your own transformation is so kismet! Nature likes to show us how we ought to move in the world.
And the "messy emerging" - oooof. Isn't it, though? Isn't it messy to break out of old patterns and emerge? There may be no better metaphor than this!
Brava Rosemary !!
A true success story.
I planted Milkweed in my garden hoping for butterflies and instead every insect within a hundred miles found it. And loved it.
Such a lovely share and reminder, Allison. I consider my cats my teachers (though one of them isn’t so quiet, ha). It’s wild to me how they’ll be running around like crazy, after whatever there’re after (kitty treats, mostly), then plop down into a fully serene, meditative state in an instant. They’re so present, so focused on the immediate moment, and have mastered the art of fully relaxing (whereas I don’t even come close!).
Fully relaxing, what is THAT?!?! I am on the quest for that as well. The immediate moment, when we can land in it, feels so serene. It's the staying there, being consistent enough with mindfulness, where I struggle.
I love how our animals teach us so much without saying a word.
Visiting my sister in CA this weekend. Took in the sunset at the beach last night and it reminded me I didn’t need to “do” anything in that moment, I could just soak it in and be.
I love that, Josh! My struggle in moments like that is to not document it. Not reach for my phone to capture the beauty. My mind can capture it all and that is enough. Something I’m still working on 😑
Right there with you
Yes! This has become so important to me in my sobriety journey. The teachers are everywhere. By turning off the noise, slowing down and connecting with nature I find a sense of peace and harmony. It takes practice 🙂
It definitely takes practice but what I'm finding is the connection, once out fully immersed in nature, is the PULL back in. Once you get in that meditative state, you want more and so you willingly turn down the noise and slow down the walking/running. It's the best! Thanks for sharing, Colleen. xoxo
Love this. I don't know about lessons, but I definitely get connected to a peace within when I take walks every day.
Totally. And perhaps that right there is the lesson, Deirdre. That walking connects you to your inner peace.
yes!
Quiet teachers are everywhere…if only we take the time to notice. Going into my weekend with this in mind! 🩵
Thanks Lindsey! I'm going to slow down, quiet down and notice which ones show up for me this weekend, too!
this was lovely. I'd like to think I live my life looking for these quiet teachers. Thanks to this share, I will be more actively doing so. Thank you!
They’ll find you! It’s like they know the channel is open.
Sober eyes are the best!
Thanks for sharing here, Kelly.
yes yes yes!!!
This is so beautiful, Allison! What poetry you've spun from the actions (or inactions) of your quiet teachers!
My nine-year-old sons are often my (not at all quiet but inadvertent!) teachers, giving me the chance to learn lessons from things that I might not see without them. A few months ago, of them was almost finished in the bath and was trying to blow out the candle I'd lit for him on the far end of the tub. Sitting in the middle of the bath, at a safe distance from the flame, he was blowing and blowing, and the flame would waver but stay alight. So I told him that sometimes, in order to fix a problem, we need to take ourselves closer to its centre. While our inclination might be to keep our distance - staying away from a hot flame is usually advisable - sometimes the best thing we can do is get up really close to a problem, close enough to feel its heat... It will burn you if you're not careful, but you'll be better placed to see all of it. I picked up the candle and brought it close to his little face. Then one puff, and it was out.
Thank you so much for the reminder to keep an eye out for our gentlest teachers. x
Well, now I’m going to tuck this little lesson away in my mental database and return to it. Such a great one, Michelle! Thank you so much for sharing.
“sometimes, in order to fix a problem, we need to take ourselves closer to its centre.” How I often wish this weren’t true!
I will think of this later this morning as I blow out my candle I lit to accompany my reading. 🫶🕯️
I don't know what to say other than that this was so beautiful and moving to read. <3 For me, it's the changing seasons. I always feel like there's a kind of indescribable wisdom my body is absorbing when I feel that shift in the air.
I know what you mean, Nico. I feel the same - hard to articulate the feeling exactly but as the landscape outside changes, things inside shift as well.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your experience.
How lovely, your little ditty! You have captured so beautifully with these images & lessons our nature teachers. I will be looking for them on my long Camino walk. And good luck with the difficult & challenging piece of writing you’re working on. I have no doubt you’ll bring forth the fruit of your labor.
Thank you, Amy. 💕
Oh the Camino walk will be loaded with lessons and nature’s teachers. What a rich environment that will be! You must be so excited (you leave Monday, right?)
Wow Allison! This was just what I needed to start my morning. Thank you for sharing. I'm going to keep my eye out for quiet teachers. Yours made me feel so safe.
Thanks Kaitlyn 💛
I feel safest when I’m out walking in nature. Safest in my body AND safest in my brain. No urgencies or emergencies there!
Oooohhhhh. I love this Allison! Here’s to all our quiet teachers. 🐝🌻💕🌳
So many lessons out there! Thanks, Caroline! xoxoxo
Fabulous piece Allison! One of the many things that sobriety has taught me is that length means nothing, quality and depth wins all the ways and your piece is full of those today ❤️
Thank you, Louise 🙏🏼 💕
I like to go deep! Sobriety taught me that I no longer want to hover on the surface of things. Give me depth!
LOVE this 🙏🏼🙏🏼💖
Thanks my friend! 💕🙏🏼
The ordinary miracles of daily life have blown my heart open this last year 💥
SAME!!!!!! It's amazing when we let it happen, eh?