Hello Stranger

"Hello” she said to the quiet man sitting on the bench in the park. The woman walked this path every other day for the exercise and lovely view, and the man was always there radiating a peaceful aura. Although she was a shy person by nature, her curiosity finally got the better of her and she impulsively decided to speak to this intriguing person.

“Hello” he responded simply.

“May I sit with you for a while?” she asked pointing to a spot about six to eight feet away on the next bench.

“There is room and you may sit there” he said matter of fact but with a gentle tone in his voice.

“I have seen you for weeks now just sitting in the same spot here and I was wondering why.”

“This is the spot I like to be in now. The tree there is beautiful with its thick trunk and spreading branches. When the sun shines the leaves glow such a bright green.  It is amazing to ponder how the tree is actually being nourished by rays of the sun which travel so far through space to arrive here.” 

Just then, like magic, a beam of sunlight pierced the veil of the cloud cover above and shone down on the tree. The leaves truly did glow with such a brilliance that one would swear that they were powered by some electric current and radiating light from within, when actually they were absorbing light from without. Just as the woman gasped quietly in amazement the clouds merged back together above and the green of the leaves was dull once again.

The man chuckled mirthfully without a touch of malice before pointing off to the North side of the tree at the ground and whispered “Oh look there, it is one of the little creatures that make their home somewhere up on the branches. I have been watching that squirrel coming and going with her treasures of nuts and twigs and feathers. I like to think that she must feel very safe in such a sturdy home, especially when the storms come. When the winds blow those strong branches that seem so ridged now bend and sway with the winds so that the roots of the tree are able to stay firmly grounded in the earth. It is a beautiful thing to behold. I like to think that the little squirrel and her babies feel safely cradled in the flowing arms of the tree even while storms rage around them.”

 “Sometimes I wish I could feel safe like that” she blurted out, surprised at herself for being so candid with this stranger.

“Is that so?” he questioned with a tone that beckoned her to elaborate.

“I guess what I mean is that with everything happening in the world, what with the covid-19 and the lockdowns… and now the virus is mutating, and they are saying on the news that it is even more virulent, and the vaccines that are just now being distributed may not even be effective against the mutation. And then there have been protests that turned into riots and people taking sides against each other to make ‘them’ the bad guy so they can be the good guy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, and it makes no sense at all to me because that is their neighbors that they are demonizing! And if you talk to the 'black lives matter' group they all think they are the good guys, but if you talk to the 'all lives matter group' they think they are the good guys. So, all of my neighbors on either side just want to be the hero and someone else to make into a villain. It’s as if these groups that are forming just want something or someone to fight against because they are angry and afraid. And here I am thinking ‘isn’t it time just to look at the broken situation and solve the problems of injustice?’ Looking at history we have evolved as a society a long way since America was first formed. If we could just cooperate together there are so many brilliant people with great ideas to improve so many things. But, instead, here I am afraid of being caught in the crossfire, afraid to go to the grocery store and walk by someone who might have been in a crowded protest during a pandemic unknowingly spreading pestilence throughout the population.”

“Is that so?” he said yet again, somehow making the woman feel completely seen and heard.

“Yes, and then I feel unsafe because I am afraid of certain political figures and thier people trying to overthrow democracy. I’ve seen the lines outside of the stores that sell ammunition and I’ve driven down streets in my own beautiful town and seen the political signs displayed, somehow with a feeling of defiance and anger emanating from their large, imposing presence. I’ve gone to one of my favorite small businesses only to find a small room full of people who all refused to wear a mask, and made me feel like I was somehow bad, or “one of them” because I was wearing a mask. It made me feel like a target for hatred and possible violence. I wanted to flee, but I didn’t because I felt like if I did the predators would chase me. And those are my neighbors! Those are people that I always felt good around and welcomed by only the week before! Now I have to muster every ounce of courage I have just to go get necessities or go for a walk in the park.”

“Oh dear, that sounds very difficult. It sounds like there are storms raging outside, doesn’t it?  Perhaps it would help if you found your own tree to keep you safe, just like that little squirrel. Something we can learn from this tree in front of us is to bend and flex and allow the storms that are raging to flow by us. If the tree became rigid, refusing to let the storm win, refusing to bend and flex, hating and cursing the wind, would branches not break off?  The tree is also grounded deep in the earth, so perhaps if you find the things that make you feel grounded you will be able to weather these metaphorical storms too.

Storms are real, yes, they happen, and these things that are happening in the world are real too. However, when a storm comes the squirrel doesn’t run out into the rain, it does what it needs to do in order to be safe. It prepares its nest to be warm and comfortable so it can retreat there and rest. The squirrel stores away food and prepares for winter, knowing that the abundance of spring will come again. It sounds like you know what to do to keep yourself safe. I see you are even keeping me safe by keeping your distance from me now, and I thank you for being so caring to me. Your actions make me feel safe. You can be the safety you want to see in the world, even if you can’t control anything or anyone else.”

The woman just gazed at the man sitting on the bench with wonder. “I’ve never heard anyone speak about things quite like that.”

The man chucked softly “Is that so?”