SKÖVDE 58°23’25.1”N 13°50’46.0”E
we are born of stardust and magic , emerging from a dream to walk on this paradise known as planet Earth. From the first moment our tiny feet touch dirt, we are intrinsically bonded to our planetary mother. We come into this realm innately attune to the language of our natural world, our senses sharp and wide open to the seen, as well as the unseen. And at the root of this openness is a limitless sense of imagination. Children have perhaps the purest relationship to nature, uncontrollably squealing in delight at the sight of friends furry and feathered, fascinated by bugs scurrying about and unfettered by dirt between their toes. Their boundless sense of wonder and lack of judgment makes them prime ambassadors of the fantastic. Sticks, rocks, and leaves become the building blocks of entire worlds constructed and narratives imagined. Inanimate objects become esteemed guests at a tea party, and everything is sacred enough to have a name. To imagine is to empathize, and the beauty of children is that they lead, first and foremost, from the heart, feeling their way through this human experience, most often drawn to nature, for its purity matches their very own. As time goes on, the ways and means of our modern society distance us from that innate connection, both to the natural world and to the galaxy within. Adult responsi- bilities leave little time for play and no time for daydreams stretching the outer limits of our imaginations. Allured by high-definition screens, we sometimes forget there is no definition higher than being in nature, where both inward and outward lenses sharpen and focus. We are of the earth, and our senses are far greater than five, yet we often forget and fade into illusion over our time here. But what if we could just remember that we are spirits in a material world? What if we could strive to be a little less human and a bit more divine by reigniting our childlike imagination and sense of wonder? We don’t have to forget. In Zen teachings, it is said that in the beginner’s mind, there are many options, but in the expert’s mind, few. The challenge, as we learn more in this lifetime, is to always strive to have a beginner’s mind, one rich with imagination and possibility, unlimited by knowing. With hearts wide open, we are once again acutely attuned to the poetry whispered in the wind, the love songs of the waves splashing on the shore, the trees waving hello. And our greatest teachers can be our tiniest community members, their imagina- tions as vast as the seas, reminding us to seek the magic in the mundane. Dream, tiny dreamer, dream big, with your feet firmly on Mother Earth and your eyes to the stars, their twinkle a mirror of your own. ELIN ZLATKOVIC “Our greatest teachers can be our tiniest community members, their imaginations as vast as the seas, reminding us to seek the magic in the mundane.”
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MOTHER VOLUME TWO
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