Life is Wild

Joe and I hosted two retreats here at Pudding Creek in September. But when I think about it a little more it becomes clear that the apple trees, the bucks, the bears, Pudding Creek, and Tiger the cat were hosting too.

During the first retreat on Saturday afternoon between a nourishing meal and gathering to press apple cider, Joe and I were resting outdoors under a fir tree. Someone, either Tiger or Fox, screamed. Joe jumped and dashed up the hill to find out what was happening. 

Surprise surprise! Joe came face to face with a big mama bear and two cubs. He stopped and Mama looked him in the eye for a long second. Then she called her babies with a little grunt and they wandered deeper into the woods. Joe reports that that the cubs were adorable.

It is apple season here which means that the bears are here too, along with the foxes, the blue jays, and the bucks. Everyone loves an apple. The abundance of the apples reminds me of how much is given to us. When we take a sip of freshly pressed apple cider, we are tasting the sunshine, the rain, and the land of 2025.

We decided to not share the story with the people that were visiting here on retreat. The idea of a mama bear strikes fear in the mind of many of us humans. She represents untamed wilderness and we become afraid. But she is here, just as we are, to love the apple and her children.

Upon reflection, what I am trying to say to you is this: Life is wild and connection is everywhere. Even in a city nature abounds. You are nature - ruled by her whims and living by her abundance. 

Take a moment and slow down enough to greet the undomesticated essence of your beating heart and the awesome beauty of this earth.