Sharing for Sunday, July 21 Well Keeper Kirsten Rowell:
I hadn’t slept as well as I’d hoped last night. My son came home at midnight from a ten-day skate trip with his buddies. And the dogs had been barking intermittently all morning at a family of bears. Oh yes, the bears. It was the first sighting of the summer! There was an athletic-looking young mother and two healthy cubs—one more blonde than the other. That’s how I started the morning.
Today is my day to sit still and listen – to tend the wellspring of life. I pulled on my shirt to go for a hike. I had intentionally chosen the one that says "I'm with her," a play on Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan, with a big image of Earth next to it... HER.
I could hear one of my neighbors, a Mother Cooper's hawk, coaching her two fledglings. She filled the morning airwaves. They had successfully killed a young bunny yesterday, but failed to retrieve it from my yard. I laughed at the parallels between the young birds of prey and my teens. My kitchen sink can smell as bad as that rotting bunny, with a day's worth of dishes and compost.
As I headed up one of the many trails that skirt the Flatirons and the foothills of the Rockies, I put on some music and plugged up my ears. I figured that if I was trying to be silent, I needed to signal to others that I couldn’t talk. The trail can get quite populated, and Boulder is a small town—this was my way of managing the situation.
Lol—obviously, I focused on the most literal aspect of being silent and completely missed the point of tending the wellspring of life and listening deeply by stuffing earphones in my ears and walking in nature. I chuckled.
I pulled one earphone out and switched my music to Robin Wall Kimmerer reading from her book Braiding Sweetgrass. I used it as a guided meditation, giving me something to consider as I walked through the ponderosa pines and grasslands, winding around boulders and gazing at old wildfire scars on the landscape. I walked for miles—seven, to be exact—occasionally pausing the reading to reflect on the stories and listen within myself for what resonated with me before continuing my journey.
When I got home, I heard that Biden was stepping out of the 2024 presidential race. I’m not aiming to be political, but the prospect of a new person in that role gives hope. I glanced at my sweaty t-shirt with slogan and grinned. “I’m with her”.
Reflecting on my day, a few themes stand out: the strength of women, our collective resilience, the creative wisdom we contribute, and how humor, walking alongside humility, is essential for healing ourselves and others. I’m holding joy in my heart for new beginnings, tough transformations, and regrowth.
With love for you all,
Kirsten


Thank you. Thank you. I trust that our rhythm and presence will help steady this new cycle. I tended the well a few days before you. I went out to see the full moon rise and found a large doe sleeping on my lawn, very peaceful. And then an owl swooped out of a nearby fir tree, landing very close to my feet. It took me a few minutes to settle from the surprise, and trust her (?) intention. We held each others gaze for several minutes til she flew off.
She has visited every night since then, always landing very close-by. I am reassured, and feel supported in my/our ability to see in the dark of unprecedented times, and rest in the embrace of the unseen world.
Faithfully, with gratitude, Barbara