Water Whispers

 In Grief

I recently read about a form of eco-therapy practiced in Japan called Shinrin Yoku.

Bamboo forest

Bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto

 

Literally, this Japanese name describes the ritual of “taking in the forest atmosphere”. The passage of a few serene hours in the woods has been found to be stress reducing and soothing. Simply referred to as forest bathing, it is a conscious deceleration of life with a focus on nature. There are currently 44 accredited Shrinin Yoku forests in Japan.

Hm-mmm. This makes perfect sense to me since I grew up in a rural setting in upstate New York. Nature was my best playmate.

A small grove of sumac trees, a natural corner border on the outer limits of our property, was a favorite childhood play spot. My sisters and I lugged folding canvas stools, a small table and some dishes from our playhouse, The Barn, to this spot for an outdoor living experience.

view from backyard Ames, NY

backyard view
Ames, NY

For lunch, we smashed red currants from a nearby bush into jam and spread the gooey paste on to cracked pieces of Ritz crackers for our sandwiches. A handful of small, imperfect apples from the two trees at the other side of the property were crushed between large stones, producing our beverage. Juicy blackberries were picked for a sweet dessert.

The soft moss and dark soil kept us cool and the thick canopy of leaves protected us from the hot summer sun. I guess you could say that I figured out how to forest bathe at a very young age.
But as I grew older, and my stress level increased, I also need a water whisper to enhance the therapy. After all, my life started in a liquid setting, and maybe I was drawn back to this serene beginning. Or perhaps I was a mermaid in a former life. Nevertheless, I am drawn to water.

Ocean City, NJ

Ocean City, NJ

The ocean is a great place for me. I love the smell of unknown sea life mixed with the salty spray of the surf. The continuous rhythm of the pounding waves is the accompanying percussion to my water whisper on my long walks. Seagulls sometimes follow me, but they usually part as I rapidly pad on the wet sand to reinvigorate my soul.

A big lake will also do. Shallow at the shoreline, the water is clear and warm. Its whisper is quiet. Further out, I can feel the liquid temperature cool as I float with my face down.

sailboats on Lake George, NY

sailboats on
Lake George, NY

Below, rocks are magnified on the sandy bottom and look like ancient ruins. Their surfaces are softened by a thin, green film and their edges are rounded by the constant massage of the natural undulations. An occasional brush on my leg by a small perch lets me know I am not alone. I don’t fear its small body, we can share the lake. But I do not feel as generous when I see a water snake crossing my path. Its tiny head looks like a miniature periscope at my eye level and I generally slap the water to scare it away.

Unfortunately, on this particular late summer morning I was not at the Jersey Shore. Sadly, I was not at my sister’s spacious Adirondack cabin in Lake George. I was landlocked at my home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and I felt an urgency for a water whisper.

I was restless. Perhaps it was the fact that the milestone of what would have been my 38th wedding anniversary with my late husband just passed. Maybe I needed my own form of eco-therapy to travel through that shadow. So I packed a lunch, grabbed my lawn chair and set out to find the closest big water.

Columbia Wrightsville Bridge over the Susquehanna River

Columbia Wrightsville Bridge over the
Susquehanna River

There it was less than 15 miles away, the mighty Susquehanna River in all of its glory! This 464 mile long river is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. I am very familiar with its source, Lake Otsego in Cooperstown, NY. The town’s beautiful Otesaga Hotel was the site of my wedding reception in 1977 and I have vivid childhood memories of summer stints spent at a rustic Girl Scout camp tucked in the bordering woods.

Cooperstown, NY Susquehanna River source

Cooperstown, NY
Susquehanna River source

The massive river winds down through central New York State into Pennsylvania and briefly flows into Maryland before it empties its supply into the Chesapeake Bay. Here the fresh water meets the salt water, but they don’t seem to mind the difference. They easily blend and swim together.
The sun was hot so I looked for a shady spot near the shoreline. A thin haze made the trees on the other side look like soft, puffy green sponges and the sky was a muted blue. High clouds smeared the upper atmosphere.
A few small fishing boats dotted the river. I spotted a distant yellow kayak and wished that I was in that craft. A small female duck ignored me and passed by on her way to a cluster of tall grass. A monarch butterfly flitted around my head and assorted song birds briefly serenaded me. A furry caterpillar inched across my toes and later a few large black ants and some spiders joined the parade.I was entertained by the assortment of nature. I can’t adequately describe the smell of fresh river water, but its familiar odor reminded me of a creek near my home and the summer hours we spent looking for tadpoles and crawfish in ankle deep water.

The proximity of the beautiful river was just what I needed. The Susquehanna whispered to me. I felt my water therapy kick in. It was so peaceful and I could feel my stress dissolving.

Riverside Park Columbia, PA

Riverside Park
Columbia, PA

For now, as long as the weather permits, I will continue to seek out water.

But winter will put an end to that.
Unless I head south.

So what is your personal nature therapy?

Do you have one?

I would love to hear what soothes your soul and awakens your senses.

Kim

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Showing 8 comments
  • Carol Piros
    Reply

    Kim,

    I could truly relate to this posting of yours. I find the forest still a sanctuary for myself when I need to recharge my “batteries”! Here in southern California it takes me only 20 minutes to get to the ocean. When it is too hot to walk at home, my husband and I go to the marina for my walk. He in his electric scooter and I afoot. We get to visit, see the boats, the sea lions, sea gulls, fishing boats coming in and sailboats going out of the harbor. It is usually always cooler and so relaxing that we both look forward to going. Even though I live in a farming/orchard valley the noise from the freeway and pace of life sometimes require some “down time” for me to find someplace similar to where we both grew up. That getting back to our roots truly is invigorating and feeds this country girl’s soul! Your posts always leave me inspired and a bit homesick for what was a very simple and wonderful time in my life! Keep writing. Love, Carol

    • Kim K Meredith
      Reply

      I appreciate your loyal readership Carol. I know you can picture the scenes that I write about and how important nature is to you as a master gardener. We have said many times how fortunate we were to have such a special childhood. I am currently polishing my Ames stories for my next writing project.It will be centered around all of these special memories and how they influenced my life. Stay tuned and keep reading!

  • Diana Roberts
    Reply

    Hi Kim…
    Thanks so much for writing such a wonderful, expressive piece. I really enjoyed reading it and was nodding my head in agreement the whole time! I share your love of the water and I, too, find peace and happiness by being in it, on it, or around it. Where you were is very close to where we have our sail boat and where we kayak. You and I talked about that briefly…and maybe we can go kayaking there sometime? Again, thanks again for your beautiful blog. I loved it and will share it with my sister in Illinois who also has a great love for water and has had pain and loss in her life. She and I have shared many “whispers” and ways to find peace for our troubled minds…so we understand and appreciate your powerful messages so well.

    • Kim K Meredith
      Reply

      Thank you Diana for sharing your own love of water. I am glad that you enjoyed this piece and that it spoke to you. I would love to have one more kayak adventure this year.
      I hope that you continue to find peace through your “whispers”.

  • Elaine Mansfield
    Reply

    Beautiful, Kim. Thank you.
    I go to Seneca Lake or to my woods. Or I stop when I see horses or beautiful streams.
    The Susquehanna is dear to me. She’s said plenty in my ear and absorbed many a feeling. I drive along her west side going south on Rt. 15, heading for Virginia and then NC. I stop along the way, especially coming home when the turnouts are on the river side of the road. She is indeed the Mighty Susquehanna. I imagine she’d appreciate a prayer walk from Otsego Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. She’s taken a lot of abuse.

    • Kim K Meredith
      Reply

      That sounds like a wonderful idea Elaine. I know how often nature speaks to you and how precious her “whispers” are for you.

  • Jill Swenson
    Reply

    Better late than never. I stumbled upon this blog post and wondered “where was I when she posted this one?” I love the idea of forest bathing. Getting out into nature is always therapeutic for me. Walking along a river or the shore of a lake is a form of meditation. Thanks for your beautiful essay.

    • Kim K Meredith
      Reply

      I just got back from a hearty dose of nature in Aruba. The sunsets were breath taking. The iguanas played freely in the arid interior of the island which had a new beauty of its own. I floated for hours in the crystal clear aqua marine water and never wanted to leave.
      I will cling to all of these memories in December and January while the flakes swirls around me. I will be in my own snow globe.

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