Grief comes close on the heels of gratitude these days, especially when I’m out in nature. Is this just part of being a grown-up, I wonder? Maybe it’s been true ever since humans became conscious and hits us sharply when we face human-caused suffering like war and environmental degradation.

I sat by this stream for a few minutes the other day after hiking up a mountain to pick huckleberries. Filled with gratitude. A few minutes later a woman walking up the trail with an empty huckleberry container caught me hugging a tree. I hope it gave her a few moments of joy, delight, laughter, or at least a bit of lightheartedness to her day.