Yesterday I walked a long driveway through a rain soaked conifer forest in northwest Montana. The colorful gravel crunched under my hiking boots, the rhythm of my steps breaking the silence of the forest. My eyes were automatically drawn to the gravel, seeking the familiar heart amidst the plethora of the geometric shapes and colors at my feet. Scanning the wet rocks as I move along, deep in thought…ah! There’s one. As I reach for the heart shaped rock, the shadow shifts and it is not a heart shaped rock after all. Momentarily disappointed, I move on. My focus goes back to the forest, the dripping moss, the rustle of the treetops, wild turkeys and deer. Another stone catches my eye…it looks like two hearts entwined- sort of. I pass it by, think about it, turn around and pick it up. Yes, in a stretch it looks like what I thought, and in closer perusal, it is more reminiscent of a Zuni fetish representing a bird. Nice. With delight, I step out once again. The heart-shaped stones elude me. It was a little frustrating. I quit looking with my eyes and started feeling with my heart. Many times I reach down only to find that the soil, another stone, the angle, a twig or leaf is creating the illusion of a heart. Some stones look like hearts from one direction and not the other. A small, gentle voice from within reminded me…that love takes many forms and while the heart shape may disappear or elude you, the love is always there. You may not “see” love, you feel love, you are love.
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