Reunion

Last weekend I had the opportunity to return to Carleton College for reunion weekend.  It was great being back on campus and seeing friends.  Some have been friends since college days, others I did not know while at Carleton, but have become friends at previous reunions. The thing that I find so special about reunion is that we are all there because we all have a comon ground. I love the college, loved my experience as a student there and love returning to a place where I feel completely at home. I am guessing my college buddies have similar sentiments. It is a chance to be seen and heard for our authentic selves. Everyone is accepted just as they are.  It is a place where people can express ideas that may not be shared by all, but where all are willing to listen, to search for a common ground.

That's also my favorite aspect of a forest therapy walk. In our times of sharing, each participant is allowed to share what they are noticing, what they are experiencing.  It may not at all be what others noticed or experienced, but that's the magic. The shared wisdom of the experience is greater than the individual experience.  For me, the sharing time is a time of connection. Not just connection to others, but to see nature through their eyes, and perhaps learn a little something about myself too.  That's why it is so hard for me to "describe a forest walk."  Each one is so unique that I cannot predict what connection someone else will feel.  You simply have to experience it for yourself.