Moss

I had just spent the last hour pushing through thick rhododendron and crawling across dead oak trees that had fallen in their battle against the gypsy moth. I probably didn't need to go there but the map showed a ridge jutting out into Poplar Lick with pretty much nothing but straight down on three sides. I wanted to see what it looked like. The narrow ridge opened up to sunlight and rocks covered in thick moss, with a couple of trees scattered about. I plopped down in the moss and took it all in. The cool air, the moss, and the view from where the ridge abruptly ended and dropped off into the hollow below. It felt great to be sitting in the confluence of beauty.

If you've spent much time in the woods at all, and if you've been observant, you've probably noticed moss growing on logs or the bases of trees. If you've been lucky, you've probably come to those spots that are covered with nothing but a big carpeted area of moss. And if you were adventuresome and took the time to sit or lay on it for a few minutes, you were probably surprised at just how soft and cool it was. Or if it had been raining recently, maybe you got soaked. If only you could spend the whole day just walking around on the moss, just imagine how good you would feel, especially if you have aches and pains or a back that was sore from spending too much time working and walking on concrete. On top of feeling great, you'd get to throw in the fact that you were just able to be outside.

For the most part, moss goes unnoticed. But that doesn't deem it as useless. It has so many benefits to everything around it that if it was suddenly stripped from the environment, it would probably be noticed by almost everyone. Moss stabilizes the soil surface and retains water, helping new plants to grow after a disturbance such as logging or a forest fire. It also soaks up rainfall and keeps the moisture available for the hot days when it doesn't rain. Even though all the trees and green things need moisture, when it's dumping down in torrents, rain can pretty much wash away everything on the mountain side, unless of course there's lots of vegetation like grass and other plants to keep things in place. And since grass won't grow on rocks, and moss can, you'll often see moss in those shallow soil areas. It's just one of those neat parts of the great design.

As a simple person, and probably one not much different than most of you, it's easy to think that I have the answers to all of the problems around me. Well at least all of those other than my own. So that makes it easy for me to pour out lots of advice, especially for things that I know very little about but think that I do. Often it does more damage than good. It's usually too late, but it's then that I realize that I'm not meant to be the rain. Just the moss. Porous and soft, holding the moisture until it's needed. Not the source of life, just a friend who offers a sip of refreshment to others along the way.  

So as I write, I hope that my writings can be similar. Just a soft spot or maybe a bit of refreshment on a dry day when you need it. As you do the same with your life, maybe together we can produce this big and intertwining carpet of moss.

And when some weary soul stumbles into our neck of the woods, they can plop down and take it all in and feel refreshed. 

Now wouldn't that feel great!