A contemplative reflection on nature, relationship and the quiet return to belonging within the living world
This day, in all its glory, is greeted by the sun. Bright and light but checked by the cool brisk winter air, reminiscent of the vividness and the pulse of life.
There is a beauty in nature, a restorative power in which all humanity and all life is equal, a recognition that we all belong and are not compartmentalised by location, economics, colour, education, religion or gender. To respect life and nature fully in all its forms, there needs to be an acknowledgment that we are part of it, not superior to it. Like any relationship, respect is key, requiring balance. We cannot manipulate it or use it to justify our own needs.
When did that separation occur? What damage it has caused us! Life is a gift, a conscious and unconscious union with the Divine. To sit and observe the flow of life, the flight of birds, the fleeting butterfly, the budding leaves, the desolate trees shorn of their winter coat, the flowing stream – to observe this is a privilege. Greed has no place here and no insecurities exist; but rather, there is harmony and an acknowledgement of difference without fear.
The Crow does not seek to be like the Robin, the Hare does not seek to be like the Trout. There is something to be learned, to be understood, some wisdom to acquire. There is a need to sit and listen, to sit and observe, moving beyond our eyes and ears to the place of the heart where our soul sings, where harmony is present and always has been; a harmony because of our differences, not in spite of them.
Life is a continuous process, and joy comes from our engagement with it, being part of it. This is the Divine Dance.
Miriam Fitzgerald writes with a voice shaped by scholarship, cultural lineage, and a deep love of story. Based in Dublin, she brings the insight of an English and Sociology scholar (UCD) and the critical depth of an MPhil in Postcolonial Studies (Trinity College Dublin). Her work is enriched by a lifelong engagement with Irish mythology, folklore, poetry and the philosophical questions that sit beneath human experience. As a dedicated student within the Inner Quest lineage, Miriam approaches spiritual themes with clarity, curiosity and emotional intelligence. Her reflections carry the quiet luminosity of someone who sees the symbolic threads woven through ordinary life and invites readers to see them too.