Co-Existing in Harmony
While
Enveloped in Silence

BY THERESA GOLDEN
The silence was breathtaking as I walk into the woods. Although I heard the birds singing, and literally having conversations with each other, I couldn’t help but to stop and listen. I stood there in utter amazement, and awe of the beauty. The tiny leaves falling could be heard through the silence. Acorns were attacking my head and arms before making a thumping noise when hitting the ground.
At the end of the trail was a green mossed stained bench waiting, so ignoring the stains I stopped to take a rest. I wanted to capture and enjoy the moment by taking in the beautiful energy embraced in this blissful scenery that surrounded me. I was fully enjoying looking at the diversity of the countless trees, and the variations of the leafy green foliages especially the ones enhanced by the crimson red berries. In this blissful observation mode, I could not help but fall in love with this wonderful park. I was filled with an enormous amount of contemplation seeing how the many variations of all the trees, plants, flowers, spiders, and even the deer were all co-existing in complete harmony.
Making my way on the trail, I saw this tiny white butterfly fluttering in the direction of where I spotted a leaf that had not yet made its way to the ground, but was suspended in mid air. It hung in the spider’s web, as if it were hanging on for dear life. For some peculiar reason I felt an unexplainable relationship with the trees. Each tree was standing or lying in its “Being.” They were in perfect harmony, upholding one of the laws of natures’ principles; these laws uphold the growth and guide the progress and evolution of everyone and everything. One of the principles in particular came to mind, “Harmony exists in Diversity” and I couldn’t help but to think why is it so difficult for us humans to do the same. I then asked myself, “Do the trees have consciousness?” If the answer to that were yes based on what I have learned about the seven levels of consciousness they are operating on the Unity consciousness level.
The trees ascended towards the sky, and I stopped to catch sight of how far they extended, but my neck got tried from looking up. The sunburst that showered through the green foliage glistened down on the trees. I felt such an extremely deep connection with the trees. Looking at the trees that had fallen, I couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since they had fallen. They were still lying in the place they had fallen, and some just fell in the crevices of their neighbor tree. One of the trees distinctly caught my eye; it was losing its coat, and the bark was shedding all the way to the top, but there was a short stub of wood remaining on the tree that resembled a coat hook.
As I made my way through the woods, I started to get hot, so I took off my light green jacket tying it around my waist, so as to keep my hands free to capture the magnificent atmosphere in words, and images with my pen and camera. Although the temperature was getting quite warm, every now and then I would feel a fresh cool breeze across my face. I begin to get very relaxed sitting on that bench, so I closed my eyes, and I could hear the wind blowing softly. I could hear the planes and trains in the far-off background, and I thought to myself, “Wow, the trees get to hear the train too.” Even in this silence I could not get away from the annoying train whistle. I sat here for about thirty minutes and decided to continue my journey on this trail to see where I end up!
I stopped for a moment because I could hear the silence. “This silence was shouting at me;” while experiencing this moment I couldn’t help but to think about one of the SCI principle I had learned last semester, “Dynamism is in the silence.” Standing in that moment, I was in awe while joy and happiness strucked my soul. I was having an amazing experience, and such an incredible feeling of stillness in my soul. Consequently, I felt liveliness as I continued my hike, listening to the quietness, and feeling the calm.
When I got to the fork in the trail I stood there wondering which way should I go? So, I took the road that seemed to be less traveled on, and walked right into a deer. We both stopped and looked at each other in utter shock. I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough to snap a picture of the deer’s expression, but that picture is etched in my mind’s eye. It was a magical moment. After our brief encounter, the doe leaped across the path into the woods, as I stood there with such an amazing appreciation for that moment. After she went into the woods she stopped, and literally posed to allow us to take pictures of her. She stood in the woods and posed as if she was saying, “ Go ahead take a picture of me.” After the photo shoot she scurried further into the woods out of sight.
I could feel the trees pulling me again. As I witness every tree standing in its purpose, and those that had fallen from either aging, cut down by humans, or strucked by lightening, they somehow remained in their “Being.” I could not help but notice the one that had been struck in half by lightening yet still somehow looked alive. The tree was still attached to its roots.
The trees, that had fallen over because they were just tired, created some weird and wonderful expressions, and as I mentioned above, many of them rested in the cleft of the branches on the trees next to it, reminding me of the chorus to the song

“Lean on Me”
“Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on”

After I finished humming the tune in my head, I started thinking about how much better the world would be if we could actualize the principle of “harmony exists in diversity,” in reality and not just theory. We would become conscious that we all need somebody to lean on as well as an understanding that we are all interconnected, and each of us are the microcosm of the macrocosm. We are all connected to each other and the universe. It seemed to me that the trees seem to be actualizing this principle very well. I was deep in thought about this point as I moved through the woods in the calm.
I kept walking down the path that did not seem traveled much. On this path there were many beautiful flowers. Partly because there were fewer trees, and the flowers were completely exposed to the sun. I stopped to admire these bright yellow daisies and purple wispy flowers. I could not resist capturing a photo of them. The end of the trail brought me back to where I started, and that is exactly what my life’s journey will do --- take me back to where I started.