Breathe it in, pass it on

Posted on by Live & Learn

stanley-park-forest-trees

I breathe in the soft, saturated exhalations of cedar trees and salmonberry bushes, fireweed and wood fern, marsh hawks and meadow voles, marten and harbor seal and blacktail deer. I breathe in the same particles of air that made songs in the throats of hermit thrushes and gave voices to humpback whales, the same particles of air that lifted the wings of bald eagles and buzzed in the flight of hummingbirds, the same particles of air that rushed over the sea in storms, whirled in high mountain snows, whistled across the poles, and whispered through lush equatorial gardens  . . . air that has passed continually through life on earth. I breathe it in, pass it on, share it in equal measure with billions of other living things, endlessly, infinitely.

~ Richard Nelson, The Island Within

Notes: Quote: Whiskey River. Photo: Ted McBride in Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C.

19 thoughts on “Breathe it in, pass it on”

    1. Yes, you captured it (again beautifully) Lori. I’ve bought the used book and look forward to diving in. Reader reviews state it needs to be sipped. I can see why.

  6. I just came back from Alaska–it is a magical place! I ate salmonberries off the tree (never had even heard of them before), watched harbor seals fight for space on a buoy, saw and heard the humpback whales and so much more. Yes, we all breathe the same air, yet the air in Alaska is fresh, crisp and clean.

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