Nature

Do we search in order to have? 

Sometimes, we search in order to find. 

There is a world of difference between the two, as Jarod Anderson learned to find his path. He is a poet and writer who had been shattered by depression. At one time, his depression led him to contemplate suicide several times an hour. 

He described himself as “a burden to his partner” with neither plan nor hope in his memoir Something in the Woods Loves You. Anderson would not bother when he moved into a 275-square-foot basement apartment with a shower smaller than most refrigerators. He didn’t even talk to the landlord when there was no hot water for five months. 

His healing came a long way, and eventually after paying attention to nature. When he met wild creatures like squirrels, red-tailed hawks, bats, opossums, he saw the light at each turn. Watching great blue herons in Ohio has become a source of wonder. Climbing out of his car and smelling the citrus tang of leaf rot and muddy water, Anderson had invited nature back to his life. That’s a path he knew he won’t be measured by bank statements or resumes. 

Connection with plants and animals allows Anderson to live with less pain and more meaning. As any lover of nature can attest, encounters with nature can do wonders for our well-being.