to my father who taught me to wonder wildly and hear Life’s stories
i walked ahead mostly in silence. the only assurance of direction was the well-trod trail laid out before me and the sound of my dad’s footsteps close behind me. my mind wandered further than my own little legs could carry me. i imagined i was all alone, a wild child, no, a wild woman, wandering the mountain for the simple thrill of being amidst nature, and no doubt i’d be able to talk to all the animals and understand them too… people could do that when they grew up, right?
Emily, whispered my dad, Emily, look!
startled from my imagination, i whirled around to look at what my dad was seeing. there on the path, equally startled and mirroring our curiosity was a small deer.
She’s following us, my dad said. i could hear the excitement in his voice.
Let’s see what she does if we keep walking.
slowly we walked on ahead, and the little deer followed. when we stopped, she stopped. when we walked, she walked. it continued like this for some time. my imagination of me as a wild woman wandering the mountains with animal companions was becoming a reality… but then the little deer wandered off the trail and into a thicket of trees, leaving us to continue our journey to lake solitude alone.
Em, my dad said, seeing the disappointment in my eyes, maybe she doesn’t want to see Lake Solitude with us.
Maybe she needed to go do her own thing instead, like find some deer food, or walk on the deer hiking trails?
Yeah, i said. though sad, i understood, and we kept walking along the human hiking trail to lake solitude.
now grown, though not without fantasies of becoming a mountain wandering wild woman, i have come to see how profound this encounter between us and the little deer had been. my dad had taught me to be curious in the presence of wildlife, and also to be understanding of each Being’s own story. he taught me that the wild does not exist for the sake of my companionship and joy, but for the beauty and sake of their own Being.
today, i celebrate and thank my dad for instilling in me the curiosity to hear each Being’s story.
to fathers and those who father
to fathers and those who father
who in their own way embody
You, our Great Father,
thank you for the courage to open your life for me
than you for the curiosity you instilled in me
thank you for the patience you modeled for me
thank you for the wisdom that now lives in me
and loving me in a way that fostered
my own wild wonder
