Jamie Broker

Yesterday, 20 March, was the first day of spring! Spouse and I opened up windows, took out the trash, and thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing on a fine evening. Today is International Day of Forests. The weather is beautiful, the breezes are high, and if the folks doing tree work up the street will please wrap it up soon, then it will be almost heartbreakingly lovely today.

I had no idea that International Day of Forests was a thing until right before I started to draft this post. According to Wikipedia, it was established by the United Nations (here is their forum website on forests), and is meant to celebrate and bring attention to forests of all types and in all places across the world. Which, in my opinion, is pretty awesome.

Forests tend to play a huge role in my fantasy stories, probably for no deeper a reason than I love me a good tree. I love walking beneath their boughs. There’s something ancient and beautiful and sacramental (in the sense of pointing me towards something larger, holier, truer) about them. I love the birds in their branches and the squirrels running through their fallen leaves and the deer that, if you’re very lucky, you might see in a low-lying stream. I know that, if I’ve been feeling squashed by and caught up in work or too much technology, one of the best things I can do for myself is go find a tree and press my hands against its rough bark. I have no clue why it works or why I love the woods, but it does and I do. And they’re not even my favorite type of landscape!

I am lucky to live in an area with several state parks within an two-hour drive, and several quite a bit closer. I can go out to the forest, even if it’s just a little one, pretty much whenever I want. This is a privilege that not everyone has and I’m grateful for it. On International Day of Forests, I hope everyone can at least find a tree, though, and give it a good hug. It’s early enough that you probably won’t even have to worry about the ticks!