Thinking about Mary Oliver, who passed two years ago today, and her one wild and precious life. I don’t have anything new to say; I just miss her and knowing she’s no longer with us. But what a great life she lived. 

Perhaps one of these days, I can write about the world we live in and life itself as beautifully as she did. She taught me to stop and listen to everything around me: the rustling of the leaves as the wind blows, the fluttering of wings when birds fly, the musical sound rain makes as it hits the ground.

She taught me to not only listen but to see, truly see, the world outside differently. Every blade of grass has a story, every tree has a soul worth acknowledging, every mushroom has an entire community beneath it giving it meaning and life.

The creeks that run near our house, filled with trash, flow under the bridge. The creeks that have an entire ecosystem depending on them that everyone takes for granted. The rivers that bring sweet solace to humans and animals alike sweep over rocks and trees and over banks and onto trails where people walk.

Those wild geese Mary fondly talked about still fly overhead as we try to find our place in the “in the family of things.” Thank you, Mary, for teaching us to stop and wonder and marvel at the world outside our doorstep. May we continue to do so and may it change how we interact with one another in your absence.