I walked through an old doorway recently that stands alone, just a frame. But it was the perfect portal to nowhere in particular or anywhere I wanted to be.
I was part of a "Wild Church" gathering organized by a local church to enhance our spiritual connection with the natural world. We had 20 minutes to wander the wooded gardens with a murmuring waterfall and bountiful flower patches. Dotted throughout were the discards of man, now part of the huge green hug, including a small tractor, sculptures crafted from “junk” … and more.
Later we shared experiences and I explained why walking through that door was more than a commune with nature, which indeed, is spiritual. This patch of nature, however, belonged to longtime friend and mentor, Bob Hill and his wife Janet. They left Illinois in 1975 to move into a home built in 1865 and created Hidden Hill Nursery and Sculpture Garden in Utica, Ind.,near Louisville, Ky. Hill also has left a lasting legacy as an author and columnist for the Louisville newspapers.
Now they must downsize and sell their partnership with nature where that door opens to a wonderland. If fairies exist, they are there. If leprechauns exist, they are there. Whatever connection to the universe you accept, it is there.
I said goodbye to what Bob and Janet planted and sculpted, hoping nature will remain its guardian. Meanwhile, they are designing a smaller “Wild Church” in their new backyard — where their hearts, like that door, will remain open and inviting.
I’m Lonny Cain … and that’s my Perspective.
