I was a teenager when I first saw the picture of a young girl weeping while holding a tuft of grass Ringo (from the Beatles) had walked on. At the time I remember thinking “get it together girl.” Now here I am almost 40 years later and I have my moments of weeping. What’s with that?
Somewhere all the joys and pain of life seem to surface when I am alone in nature. A sunrise on the mountainside or a small birch tree shedding it’s brown skin for new white bark can set me off. 
I connect with the pains of nature as something must die for an animal to live. Life and death are everywhere in the woods. I watched a large porcupine skirt the bark all around a tree. The top of the tree will die as the bark is now gone. This guy did more than eat the outer bark which would only leave a scar. I shot it with the camera
.
I took a picture of the aftermath of the beavers preparing for winter.
They cleared about two acres of trees on the one side of their pond. The next time I came back their small beaver house was ripped up and the beavers were gone. I saw bear tracks and gray wolf tracks in the mud. I spent some time in quite reflection. We think we live in a violent world.
I held my gun on a very large black fisher as it ran toward me and stopped ten feet away and realized I probably was not a tree. Fishers are a smaller and very agile version of the wolverine and a vicious predator. I experienced exhilaration off the charts. It’s right up there with chasing bear out of our wilderness campsites.
Nature does not have the emotion we do. Everything is face value at the moment. Instinct but no reasoning. I don’t know why a birch tree shedding it’s bark reminded me of the pain of the kids leaving home (which is good, normal and healthy), or the loss of my long-time job and the pain of transition. When the beaver pond froze over it exposed my soul to myself; as if it was an object lesson from God himself saying “Gary your emotions are frozen over like this pond”.
Have you ever become numb in your emotions from pain and loss? Maybe there is some healing in weeping and holding onto your tuft of grass. I guess I recommend time alone in nature. Let God speak to you through natures object lessons.
garyfultz 
Thanks for the great post Gary! We all experience life’s ups an downs. Just went through a big downer myself this weekend. Not always do events in our lives turn out the way we had hoped, but the Lord is in control of everything and he will not allow us to go through anything He knows we cannot handle. I know you know that too, just wanted to share an encouragement with you because we all need it. I know I needed to hear what you had to say! Thanks for sharing your heart!:) I enjoy reading your posts!
Matt
LikeLike
Thanks for the encouragement Matt. It’s too easy to just get “numb” to lifes twists and turns.
LikeLike
I haven’t be out hiking or walking in so long. Living in the suburbs you don’t see a lot of nature around. Quite a pity.
LikeLike
I don’t know what I would do If I couldn’t get alone in nature Emma
LikeLike
Thanks for the reflection. I miss the country life!
LikeLike
I call crying or tears the “car wash” or “washing machine” of the soul.
It’s good to cry and flood out some of the old gunk.
Way healthier than keeping it all in!
I always feel better after a good cry, even though my outer situation hasn’t changed, it seems I am carrying less…
Sorry you lost your job!
I know this was long ago when you wrote this, and I am sure GOD has taken care of you and brought you something better – but I, too, sometimes wish HE would spare me and protect me from the pain in the first place!!!
I guess HE likes it that way – to be there with us, likes taking us through… likes to always be there, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health…loving us with HIS everlasting love…
LikeLike
Wow, It was a long time ago Eva. I can still feel the emotion of that time period. I was numb. Kids leaving home to go to college, losing a longtime job needlessly, Two shoulder surgeries, couldn’t work for a couple years, new job for half the money. Life goes on, somehow. Yes God has taken very good care of us and our kids and now grandkids. Now retired. I had taken pictures hunting and shed a lot of tears in the woods. The beginnings of healing.
LikeLike