|
Kathy’s Garden Writing |
|
THE SEASON OF ANTICIPATION We are all yearning this time of year. Children dream of sugar plum fairies, and gardeners of verdant spring days. Christians anticipate the coming of the Messiah, with his promise of redemption. One Advent I waited for something unusual, the return of albino fawns. All summer, I had enjoyed the company of two little white deer in our fields. Although there is a history of this genetic aberration in the local deer population, these ghost-like creatures were my first encounter. Native Americans considered white deer sacred, foretelling change. Killing them allegedly brought bad luck, certainly to the hunter, but also to the community at large with whom they sought sanctuary. This particular year had been full of heartbreak for me. However, as the deer inspirited the surrounding fields and woods, I sensed the promise of a brighter future, if I only stayed open to possibilities. Then came hunting season; and from Thanksgiving on, the white fawns no longer graced our meadows. I felt certain that these two lovely prophets had been killed, and that my hopes for healing had died too. I watched for them often, but they were gone. On the afternoon of December 24, as snow swirled outside, I found my little harbingers, grazing in a patch of unmown pasture. With their return, I knew I would transcend the rough patch in my own life. Maybe the Great Spirit consecrated not only the white deer, but me as well. After that apparition (and it did indeed have that mystical quality), I never saw the fawns again. Grace can be like that, a revelation that gives us the wherewithal to move forward. At this moment in time, during this season of anticipation, signs from the natural world seem especially important. With the heartbreak of climate change manifested during this past year, of flood and drought and polar thaw and species endangerment, we are all looking for reassurance, for a gift from the Great Spirit. We are yearning for a sign that planet earth can yet be healed – if we only stay open to possibilities. Kathleen Arcuri Published December 23, 2007 – The Danville Daily Item |