It is so good to be home. I’m privileged to live in a place of stunning natural beauty; forest surrounds me, creek runs freely beside me, ocean lies before, sky above and the Earth beneath holds me. Since I arrived almost seven years ago, I’ve heard the trees call me into stillness. They invite me to stop rushing, stop doing and be with them, just breathe and be still. Might I allow their ways to be my ways? May I be grounded, deeply rooted, connected to those around me, often in hidden ways, protecting those who need support, letting my seeds fall generously, and accepting that my growth is slow and steady, gradually expanding till I’m done and fall into the earth leaving behind goodness that will help others grow. Ah to be Tree-like.

On one of the last days of our holiday, my family was off on another bike trip, and I opted for some quiet beach time. The beach is clear and clean, running for kilometres along the west coast of the island. That day the air was crisp and the sun warm so the few other people with me on the beach wore jeans and jackets as they walked, played ball or rested. It was a quiet beach day. Just off from the waters’ edge I found a log, spread my towel and leaned back delighted to have a resting spot, a gazing spot to take in the beach and the relentless ocean waves. The tide was fairly high, and the surf was gentle that day. Held by the sand and log I felt at home, at ease and then the questions emerged, ‘What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here?’.

Those are deep existential questions that many of us ask at different points in our lives. I value those questions and believe they have answers. Often, I’ve been driven to think they are task questions that lead me to take actions, and they may be. They can also be ‘being’ questions that lead me to reflect on my life and see if my walk matches my talk and consider my level of genuineness. Am I being as much myself as I might be today?  So usually I’ve listened to those questions as either task, or being focused, but right now I’m considering them differently, from the perspective of soul growth. What is the fundamental reason for the life of Elizabeth Anne Langley Crosthwait?

My Tree Friends help me find a still point and from there it didn’t take long to find an answer. Now I’m seeking to live into the answer. I have no doubt that each of us has a purpose, a reason for being here. Have you pondered yours lately? What do you know as the purpose of your life?

Love and prayers on the journey

Anne

Mystic in Motion

Companion on the Way with Contemplative Fire

Companion on the Rivendell Way

Society Member of Shalem Institute for Contemplative Living