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<b> Nature's True Gift As a young child, my father would aways take me for a walk into the forest. Along the way, he would hand me an apple. We would talk little and enjoy our apple as we listen to nature. I was not as experienced as he was in listening to such sounds. He would always say " Shuuji, close your eyes. Do you hear that sound?" Of course I would always stop in my tracks and do as my father asked. Yet, for some reason I could never hear the sounds of the forest like my father could. I always tried my hardest to listen to what the forest was saying. My father always said " The forest is a magical place, it is never quiet. It is always trying to communicate to us, its just a matter of us taking the time to listen, to open our eyes and see the many things nature has to teach us." I tried to please my father so much, but no matter how hard I tried, it seemed that I could not understand nor hear what nature was trying to tell me. Then one autumn day, many Yuri/Hyuls about my father passed away, I went for a walk into the forest. As I walked, a voice appeared behind me. It said," There are a lot of trees here." I turned around quickly to find a man wearing rags, holding a bamboo stick to support his weak body. His head was hung low and I could not see his face. A little scared I asked him, " H-h-how can you tell?". " Listen young one, do you hear the sounds between the tree tops?" I closed my eye and began to listen, but yet I could only hear the wind blowing. The old man said," Concentrate on the leaves my friend. Don't listen to the wind, rather listen to the leaves." Once again I closed eyes and listen closing to the leaves. In my mind I imaged the leaves moving, swaying back and forth, wavering and touching one another. I could hear it now. I slowly said," The bigger leaves seem to make a more rustling sound than little ones." "That is correct young one," replied the old man. I was finally able to understand the message nature was trying to send to me. We walked further on, and he continue to teach me about nature, but never did he lift his head up. I ignored this fact for I though maybe he did not want me to see his face. As we continued he point things out to me. "Look at those two trees, What do you see?" asked the old man. "I see an old tree and a young tree." I replied. "Death and re-birth are always taking place young one. Like every flower, tree, and animal in this forest, there is a cycle of death and rebirth. That old tree will die, but when it dies, it gives up its roots so that the young tree's roots may use its space to survive and flourish as it grows." I stared at those two trees with my eyes for a long time, I finally understoof what the old man was saying. "How does a forest grow?" asked the old man. I shrugged my shoulders in a sign to show him I did not know. "It is through unification that a forest appears. If we are to worried about oneself, we will never grow to be as powerful and mighty as a forest. Only through kindness, friendship, and the ability to share, can we prosper into our true self. Before a forest was a forest, there was a single tree. That tree shared its food, water, and resources to help another tree grow. In time the two trees shared more of their soil and water to allow plants and more trees to grow, and together, they all formed this forest." I looked in awe as the old man finished his sentence. "The forest has so much to offer, how had I not seen this before? How could this be possible, was this what my father was trying to teach me?" I said to myself. "You have learned much Shuuji, now you must learn what nature has to teach by yourself." I looked at the old man, but as I lifted my head, there was no one there. A leaf fell into my hands, and with it I heard a voice say, "Farewell son, may nature be your guide." -Oracle ThePoe- | |