Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Lichen Love Letter


Day 124: A friend once asked me if I felt my deep love for Nature was in any way returned. I gave him an unequivocal reply: "Yes, absolutely!" and then went on to explain that one can't apply human values to the exchange when in a relationship with a non-human partner. When I am gifted with something like finding a rare plant or watching ravens perform aerial acrobatics where my eyes are the only ones to see them, I perceive these things as rewards. Some are more obvious than others, and some approach a human-like parity; others are subtle and only apparent to someone who is more intimately connected. Some defy quantifying because they cross the lines. Case in point, finding a heart-shaped specimen of Buellia (erubescens?) on the day before Valentine's Day. When your Mother spends years on hand-crafting a present for you, there's no denying that a lot of love went into its creation.

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