The Dreamer, The Poet; Feeding our Spirits

Recently, a yoga student gave me this beautiful children's book called Frederick, by Leo Lionni. The fable is about a young mouse who gathers memories in preparation for the long winter months while his family gathers food. Both dreamer and poet, Frederick sits on a sunny rock by himself while the other field mice work to gather grain and nuts. “I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days,” he tells them. Another day he gathers “colors,” and then “words.” And when the food runs out, it is Frederick whose endless store of supplies warms the hearts of his fellow mice and feeds their spirits during the darkest winter days.

I am my own kind of Frederick, at least at this moment. Our beautiful corner of the world is awash in colors and as I sit here nursing a head cold, I look out the windows (and past the much neglected tangle of weeds that was my vegetable garden) and drink in those colors. I feel like I am squirreling away (“mousing away?”) the bright warmth of all that orange and red so that I can call upon the memory of this vivid color to soothe and restore me when the world turns grey and cheer is hard to come by. Certainly these memories will transport me to a place of deep peace and appreciation of nature’s glory.

So, gather your nuts, line your nest, but remember that Autumn is also a singularly gorgeous time to feed your soul. May these fiery Fall days fill you with their unabashed beauty. May that beauty nourish and sustain you in the coming months.