Kim Struthers

There is nothing that has the power to set my spirit on fire like the sounds of spring.  After the long hours of winter darkness and hushed stillness, the brightness of the earth’s voices has a way of instilling the promise of a new day.

On one level, nature sounds inform me about the surroundings that I’m in.  Take for example the song and call of the Wood Thrush.  Its vocalizations let me know that I’m entering a deciduous woodland with relatively moist conditions, not necessarily the greatest spot to set up camp.  Or the sudden simultaneous splash of the green frogs in my backyard pond, telling me that something has gone awry (at least in their world, which very honestly matters to me).  And sure enough, if I’m patient and willing to be observant, my eyes will finally register the movement of the stealthy garter snake who has most certainly arrived for dinner.

On a different level, these same sounds automatically adjust my internal receiver and transmitter to the cadence of nature.  This “nature tuning” creates an internal frequency that allows me to step out of my own way to become part of something that is much greater and wiser than myself.  When I’m immersed in nature my surroundings are anything but silent, however, the irony is that the noises from the wind, waves, or wildlife do not exact a toll.  In fact, they freely give.

The nature sounds give the gift of knowing that I’m connected to something greater than my immediate life, that I’m part of something that has the power to make complete sense without having to understand or question it.

My layers of unresolved issues, thoughts, and life “shoulds” begin to shed.  So what remains…an openness and presence, which serves as a conduit to connect to the wild essence that inhabits nature.  It’s the same essence that has survived generation after generation; one that is whole, contains the power to inform, and that is inherently part of me.  It is in these moments that my deep life is refueled and replenished.  This in turn strengthens my connection to the inherent goodness and beauty of existence, including myself.

Being surrounded by nature and its sounds opens a portal where I connect to the beat of my internal drumming.  Gaguin once said, “I shut my eyes in order to see.”  Perhaps in that same spirit, we can immerse ourselves in nature and open our hearts in order to hear.

Kim Struthers is a writer who worked as a biologist for the National Park Service.  She discovered a deeper connection to self through being immersed in nature and is now writing about those experiences.  She can be reached at kstruthers@centurytel.net