“The greener the setting, the more the relief.” ~Richard Louv
I got my first COVID shot on Wednesday—at 1:36pm—and had quite the sore left arm for a few days.
I thought I might experience some sense of relief, some sort of internal difference, but I did not.
Frankly, I was a bit surprised by that; I’d seen some folks get teary after receiving theirs.
And while I was both grateful for and impressed by the efficiency of the huge logistical endeavour I watched in action distributing shots in arms, in hindsight, I think I was too excited about what came immediately afterwards to feel any actual relief in the moment.
Because at precisely 2:29 I was in my fully loaded car, stocked and ready for a multi-month stay at the summer cottage.
The night before I had gotten an unexpected call saying the boat was in the water and the island cottage now available.
Wha-a-t?? On April 6th?!! This is an unheard-of start to the summer season. I hadn’t planned on leaving for several weeks.
As it happened, my car was already completely loaded—I’m a fan of preparation—so it was an easy decision: drive to the cottage immediately after getting the shot and stop for groceries on the way.
An hour into the three-hour drive from Toronto, a new Ontario wide stay at home order was announced—beginning at midnight. I chuckled. By then I would be safe and snug in front of a fire with the sound of the waves lulling me to sleep.
After several days of cleaning, straightening and settling in, there’s nothing left to do but to sit, reflect and rejoice in my good fortune.
“When you bring your attention to a stone, a tree or an animal, something of its essence transmits itself to you. You can sense how still it is and in doing so the same stillness rises within you.” ~Eckhart Toll
Today, I stare out the cottage window at a river alive with motion, at trees I know by name, at rocks that never move.
I see a landscape that has not altered an iota since I first saw it some 6o plus years ago.
This view, this mighty river and the sky above, is eternal and immutable.
Something inside me sighs.
And I realize: I feel more relief from the visual permanence of this river, of these rocks and trees and shoreline, than any shot could ever possibly provide.
Doctors say that one shot increases immunization against COVID by 80%.
I say nature provides additional protection. After a long winter, with this view, I feel fully inoculated.
And very grateful indeed.
Which may be the best immunization boost there is.
“Nature itself is the best physician.” ~Hippocrates
