Timeless

Fresh Snow had fallen, blanketing the ground and the branches of the giant Fir trees. The Grand Canyon National Forest was transformed into a winter wonderland.

My excitement grew as I followed the thin line of vehicles past the entrance. Up ahead, I spotted an overlook with room for only one car. A bench resting against a cliff just a few feet down the path beckoned me. I wanted to take in as much as possible in my brief time here.

The vast beauty of the view before me was enveloping & cleansing. All the world stopped as I gazed out over the peaks and crest of the canyon. The quiet magnitude, stillness and beauty felt untouched and endless. Standing on ground millions of years old, seeing the clearly defined colors and depth of the rocky earth, I couldn’t help but consider my place in the world. One could feel insignificant against such vastness.

My initial response was to feel small. The land seemed boundless. Deep in contemplation and overcome with awe, questioning life and existence, my feelings slowly began to morph into a sweet assurance. Looking out at the snow covered spindly shrubs growing against tall full trees with limbs reaching far & wide or up towards the sky, and feeling the pebbles beneath my feet, even stooping to collect a handful, before looking out again into the majesty of the Grand Canyon once housing these same pebbles, I understood it all mattered. We all leave our mark.

How many millions of years had it taken to create the breathtaking scenery before me? How much disaster and regrowth had this land, and the creatures that inhabit it seen? Trauma is disaster, it’s as real as a hurricane or earthquake, and it may take ages to realize the benefits of healing and growth. I thought of the lineage of my own family and how my children would know less trauma than I had known and how they would have better tools to pass on to their own children. This is how love overcomes the devastation of trauma. Not in an instant, but over years, over decades and generations of those we share our lives with and leave our imprint upon. Trauma leaves us wounded and fragmented, broken. Healing not only changes ourselves, the impact of healing stretches far beyond just us. Through healing, we are able to send an immeasurable degree of love out into the world through those we become nurturers and support systems to, and in doing so, we help to create more beauty in this timeless journey we call life.