Legend of The Heart of The Forest
02/27/2017 04:51 a.m.
In the beginning, Mother Earth and Father Sky came together in Creation.
The plan for their work was written in the sky, as it is today; and a place was made for their many children.
Some of their children lived in the water.
Some spent most of their time in the air.
Some lived in the earth.
Some, like us, moved about on the surface of the earth.
And to help us remember the days of this creation, Father Sky and Mother Earth created children with their feet planted firmly in the earth and their heads and arms reaching Fatherward to the sky.
These, the tallest of their children, would live together near the Sea. The Sea would water them with his mists, and cool them with his breezes.
And because these special ones marked the union of Father Sky and Mother Earth; Father Sky determined that these children could live forever.
To help them do this, Mother Earth gave them thick shaggy coats of bark to protect them from insects and from wild fires.
Father Sky taught their roots to grow wide and to twine themselves together, that the strong may support the weak.
And because like all children of Father Sky and Mother Earth, they must render themselves useful; should the main trunk of one be taken, a circle of children would spring up from the roots to remember and perpetuate the one who had given his life.
Father Sky and Mother Earth also taught these children to multiply with seeds. But to remind us that from small things even the greatest and tallest may grow, they made their cones small, and their life-bearing seeds even smaller.
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Here at Camp Cutter we live among these special children, and many, many thousands of years have passed since first they were placed here.
Storms have battered them.
Fires have singed their thick brown coats.
Earthquakes have nearly shaken them to their knees;
And partly because of the earthquakes, many have been taken from here to render themselves useful in other places.
Not far from here stands one who has perhaps been here from the beginning. Just as Father Sky and Mother Earth determined, he is rooted firmly and widely in this mountain soil above the sea, and his head and arms reach so far toward heaven, we cannot see their end. He is the ancient "heart of our forest."
Unfortunately (or fortunately, for this may have spared him from being one of the taken), Fire has gouged out a portion of his heart. You will be able to stand within him—your heart beating as his heart.
As you do this, I would ask you to remember this legend.
Remember that you, as one of the children of Father Sky and Mother Earth, too must render yourself useful. And as you make your heart today “the heart of the forest,” may you forever afterward remember to love and recognize, respect and protect these and other great monuments of Creation.

I am listening to 4/21/14 preparation for Camp Cutter