Last weekend, Judy and I hiked the Yearling Trail. We were only able to do the short loop because I dawdled so long on the portion of the trail leading up to the sinkhole. We were rushing to finish the hike, and we did not find the Long Cemetery. This morning I went back, determined to hike straight to the cemetery and back with no dawdling. The Long Cemetery houses the graves of Ruben and Sarah Long, who inspired Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to write The Yearling.
Well, I failed.
Florida Scrub Jays
First of all, the scrub jays on this trail are ridiculous. A group of three began fussing at me before I even got on the main part of the trail! Later another two jays spent a minute or two refusing to have their pictures taken. Then another group of three jays objected to my being on the trail. I did not want to be rude by rushing away from those raucous jays! They are so curious about humans and what we might be doing in their spaces.
The Cemetery
Second, the cemetery is such a sweetly welcoming place and so peaceful that it was difficult to pull myself away. From the Welcome sign on the gate to the hand tools left so that the site can be tended to the coins left on the grave markers, this cemetery just opened something in me.
The Experience
Standing within the picket fence, I was very aware of God reminding me that I’m part of something larger than myself. My place in this world is surrounded by love and light. It was a sacred awareness and I took some time to sit with the feeling and drink it in. Without an offering to leave on the markers, I promised the Long family I would be back. I thanked them for the impact they made on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Without their friendship, she would not have written The Yearling. If she had not written that book, I would have never thought to hike this trail, would never have stood in this spot, and felt what I was feeling.
Giving Thanks
I gave thanks for the people who tend this small plot, and for their leaving tools for when they return. I gave thanks for the way the light filtered through the pines to make this shady spot feel bright. And I must have needed to have this experience, because I felt noticeably lighter when I headed back down the trail to the car.
Encounters with the living God are subjective, and can seldom be expressed adequately. Our language is not sufficient to such overwhelming feelings! But if you’ve had a similar experience I think you will understand when I say that Long Cemetery is one of the most life-affirming places I’ve ever been.
As soon as I got home, I added a bottle of Florida Water to my backpack so that I will never again be without an offering. When I leave a few drops of this sweet-smelling stuff in a place or on an object, I really focus on the here and now. These small offerings help me deeply appreciate this life we’ve been given.
Gopher apple is just coming into bloom. Soon there will be fruit for the gopher tortoises to enjoy. The green pines against the green sky make a beautiful sight! The rabbits and lizards that I saw this morning were too quick for me to get a photo of, but plants move slowly so I was able to get these photos. Do yourself a favor: come to The Yearling Trail. It does not disappoint.
