Grandma and the wolf
My grandmother had 14 grandkids and each of us believe we were her favorite. She had a gift for making you think everything about you was special and appreciated. Much of my love of nature comes from the lessons I learned from her long ago and still am learning from her today, though she has long since passed.
When I was six, my family along with my grandma and a host of cousins were staying up north at our two room family cottage. It was just before sunrise in the middle of summer and as was often the case I was lying in bed thinking. I heard a rustle and my grandma got up and looked over to see me looking at her.
She held a finger to her lips and then motioned to me as she opened the door. I quickly padded outside in my bare feet and joined her on the dew covered grass. She asked if I'd like to go for a walk. Hearing my happy 'Yes!', she started towards the lake in her floppy old shoes.
She was in her late sixties but she moved easily and silently in the woods, her feet stepping on the quiet pine needles and avoiding the twigs and leaves. We walked along and she quietly pointed out things to look at - the mist on the water, a fish jumping, a heron quietly coasting just above the still mirror of the lake.
My grandma gently put her hand on my shoulder and I stopped walking. We slowly turned till we were looking back into the woods, and there I saw a timber wolf with his head facing away from us. My grandma's calm seeped into me through her grip and I silently watched as the wolf turned his head towards us.
He looked towards my grandma's face and I could feel something different come into her - not fear, but something deep and wild, something they both shared. The wolf shifted his gaze to me and I looked directly into his eyes.
There was beauty there and again I sensed the wildness, this time coming into me. The wolf stared a long while, then turned and disappeared into the woods. I felt judged but not dismissed - I felt small but good.
I looked up at my grandma and could tell she knew all the feelings I had felt. We resumed our quiet walk up the trail.
One of these days I'll see those eyes again.
When I was six, my family along with my grandma and a host of cousins were staying up north at our two room family cottage. It was just before sunrise in the middle of summer and as was often the case I was lying in bed thinking. I heard a rustle and my grandma got up and looked over to see me looking at her.
She held a finger to her lips and then motioned to me as she opened the door. I quickly padded outside in my bare feet and joined her on the dew covered grass. She asked if I'd like to go for a walk. Hearing my happy 'Yes!', she started towards the lake in her floppy old shoes.
She was in her late sixties but she moved easily and silently in the woods, her feet stepping on the quiet pine needles and avoiding the twigs and leaves. We walked along and she quietly pointed out things to look at - the mist on the water, a fish jumping, a heron quietly coasting just above the still mirror of the lake.
My grandma gently put her hand on my shoulder and I stopped walking. We slowly turned till we were looking back into the woods, and there I saw a timber wolf with his head facing away from us. My grandma's calm seeped into me through her grip and I silently watched as the wolf turned his head towards us.
He looked towards my grandma's face and I could feel something different come into her - not fear, but something deep and wild, something they both shared. The wolf shifted his gaze to me and I looked directly into his eyes.
There was beauty there and again I sensed the wildness, this time coming into me. The wolf stared a long while, then turned and disappeared into the woods. I felt judged but not dismissed - I felt small but good.
I looked up at my grandma and could tell she knew all the feelings I had felt. We resumed our quiet walk up the trail.
One of these days I'll see those eyes again.
posted by mw @ 1:41 PM
8 Comments:
At 7:22 PM,
Anonymous said…
I'm finally getting around to checking out those who have been kind enough to blogmark me and I am so very glad I did! this is absolutely beautiful, the picture and the words. I enjoyed my stay here very much and will absolutely be back.
ChickeePoo
http://chickeepoo.meatballfabulous.com/blog/
At 1:44 AM,
Unknown said…
I love you site. If you don't mind, would you give me a link, as I think we have much in common. Keep up the excellent work!
At 9:50 AM,
Panthergirl said…
Oh that was such a beautiful story! I'm glad I stopped by. ;)
At 10:46 AM,
The Narcissist said…
How lovely that you have such memories with your grandmother; she sounds like she was a very exceptional woman.
At 1:33 PM,
Happy and Blue 2 said…
This was a great story. I felt like I was there with you.
At 6:22 PM,
SC&A said…
Superb post. Few words, volumes of emotion.
At 6:12 AM,
mw said…
Hi ChickeePoo, HappyAndBlue, and Panthergirl too- Thank you for the wonderful comments. I'm glad you stopped by!
El-Branden Brazil - I agree, we do have much in common although you are much more widely travelled. I'm slowly working my way through your blog and enjoying every minute of it. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca - Thank you. My grandmother gave so much to me while she was alive that I feel she is still a presence in my life today. She was a wonder...
Sam - That was a great story and it gave me shivers too. The Navajo have an amazing culture and I have taken a few of their beliefs as my own. I'm drawn back time and again to the four corners area for walking and meditating and sitting out under the sky. Thank you so much for your comment!
And wow, a complement from the erudite gentlemen. I feel very good and a little relieved to have escaped a more scathing review. Thank you!
mw
At 2:17 AM,
Nicky said…
A lovely story about you and your grandmother. What a great experience to be influenced by someone with such a grounded beautiful energy - she sounded like a wonderful woman.
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