Watching with Wonder
On a recent trip (October 2020) to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota that hugs the border with Canada, I witnessed winter arrive. The new season arrived stealthily, with little warning beyond a change in the skies color and the cold breath of winter on the air. Winter was not “scheduled” to arrive until December 21. That is the winter solstice. It is the shortest day of the year and, according to astronomical calculations, is the official start to the winter season.
I was impressed with how little regard the Boundary Waters had for the astronomical calendar. When the time was right, winter arrived. The clouds covered the sun, dropping the predicted temperature by 10-15 degrees. The wind changed direction. Just like the Banks’ children in Mary Poppins, the change in the wind meant something different was brewing. And that something different was a fresh blanket of snow that silently floated down while painting the aspens, birches, pines, cedars, and spruces with a layer of white.
With this unexpected change in our circumstances came a change in our response. We added a layer of clothing. We spent more time gathering and processing wood for our fire. We increased the size of our meal portions and added in more carbohydrates to assure we were ingesting the extra calories we would need to stay warm. And, we added nalgene bottles filled with hot water to our sleeping bags to provide the extra warmth we’d need to comfortably weather the long nights.
In short, we adapted and changed in response to our circumstances. This capacity for resilient change rested on our willingness to accept “what is” instead of regretting or mourning what what “supposed to be.” To me, that is another lesson learned from Nature’s Medicine that I can apply in my daily life. Excessive attachment to what I expect, or what I believe I deserve, or to my false perception of what I believe I can control, prevents me from adjusting and adapting to what my day’s offer. Through flexible adaptation, the unexpected can become a gift of wonder and joy.