I grew up in this forest and I knew
These giant trees when they were nothing more than
Than slender saplings swaying in the wind;
Sought solitude, delighted in the lore
Of nature, who became my teacher first;
Walked down trails where sun and shadow meet,
Through silence softly tucked about the days;
Traced the twists and turns of every creek.
Stepping lightly through the after-glow,
Amid the falling flakes of silver white,
Belonging to the moment and the mood,
Another little creature of the night,
With quickened breath, ears attuned, who stood
... Sensing God within this winter wood!
Loving communication implies prayerful surrender to the word of God speaking in ourselves and others.Out of this respectful openness there emerges the wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent.When we do have to say something, we do so wisely and moderately, and to the appropriate person.In persistently trying to see the other against the background of the Sacred, we preserve inner peace.