December 15, 2025
Once you step foot onto the spiritual path, there are no coincidences.
Me?
Today I took the day off with my visiting cousin and aunt, and we walked the Botanic Garden in Encinitas. I’ve always felt a connection with nature, but in recent years — since stepping fully onto the spiritual path — that connection has deepened. I no longer see nature as something outside of me. I believe we’re all connected. God is nature. We come from nature. We return to nature. We are nature. We are God.
It was a cool morning, with the sun peeking through between passing clouds. At one point, I stood still and tilted my face toward the warmth, stretching my neck like one of the many trees and flowers craning for light. As I stood under a towering Bunya-Bunya tree, a small songbird landed a few feet away and began to sing. We made eye contact. A concert for one.
It made me teary to think about how much beauty and love is in this world. It can feel positively overwhelming to think about. This single creature sharing her voice with me. The wind through the branches. The leaves drifting gently to the earth. The sunlight breaking through it all. The deeper I go on this path, the more I know: Nothing is random. Everyone is speaking. We just have to stop and listen.