Recently I was gardening for my parents, and chose to walk home over the hills, to meet my love and our children after nursery. It was beautiful and sunny, though windy. The wind was strong against my face as I walked to Happy Valley. As I reached the valley, sheltered from the wind, I felt calm and grateful for the quiet, especially as there were loud children on Sugar Loaf Hill. Yet my calm and breath were taken away by the sight of so many trees cut down on the slope of the hill. It really shocked me after so many years of walking here, surrounded by blissful barely touched nature. The large old trees are all there but many younger ones no longer stand. I tried to sing from my heart, as I always do in this sacred place, but I was soon choked up with tears. I felt grief at yet another sign of the suffering of the world and like a symbol of so many devastated rainforests. It’s very real when you see it before you, at home. I had to sit down by the running stream and a comforting great tree, and close my eyes find balance.
A few moments later, still tender but more centred, I saw a group of young women in head scarves coming down from the beacon. One girl paused to put her hands in the stream whilst the others laughed and said, ‘Don’t fall in!’ I jumped up to speak to them, and asked where they were from. I’m always interested to meet people from other places, cultures, having travelled a lot when younger and as I learned a few languages too. They were from a muslim background, living in Birmingham. Amazingly, the woman I spoke to most, was from Sweden, like my fiancé Anders, we plan to meet again. They had beautiful bright eyes, joyful to be here. We chatted merrily, and they said how grateful and amazed they are to see the hills, their first time here. It’s so beautiful, they said, and really quiet, compared to the city. I felt humbled and grateful for my home. And was reminded that, whilst trees are cut down, or even lands are destroyed by ignorant unaware people, and the climate change caused by negative actions, the love we share is greater. The love felt amongst people from different faiths, cultures, is the same. Love brings us home to the heart. I feel blessed to meet this group of heart centred women, and this deepens my resolve to connect and gather together with our universal tribe of warmhearted people and angels who want to live more peacefully and choose to look after the earth and all the beings who live here. Gentle sisters, brothers, I’m calling you, I need you. Let’s gather together, look after each other, with joy and kindness, and lead the way of love, peace and unity.