I've been going into the woods to find peace, to find solace, to find God. Yesterday was my brother's birthday - Chris died in 2022, quite suddenly of a rare brain disease. Yes, too young. Over the last few years, I've lost several family members, Mom, Dad, Chris, Charles, Dayna, Katie, and Ronnie. Too many, too young. I've found myself adjusting to lives that are complete, rather than lives and relationships that are ongoing. It's a big difference. While we all know we won't last forever, there's something about the finality of death. Like that simple period at the end of a sentence, death is the end of something that had been ongoing. I love my brother and we shared a love of nature and plants and a fondness for crafting things from natural materials. His were from wood, mine from fiber. I lost a brother and friend, and found a new connection to the universe. Chris is there when I walk into the woods, when I enjoy his wife and kids, and when I admire his handiwork. He is there when I inexpertly try to prune a tree and when I discover a new plant or flower.
