Magic Trees and Gummiberry Juice
There is something magical about forests. So it happens that everything fantastical happens within forests. It might be its mysterious quality that engages with the storyteller, the coveted space for protection, and the vast array of stories that start in with a forest. They can also become safe spaces, areas for seclusion and inward thinking — or maybe it is just my own. In a recent meditation session, I was prompted to enter a forest and go through the opening of a huge tree to find my own imagined space. Mine was still in the forest. I created a prairie within the forest, circled by tall pine trees, a small pond, and a cottage. It felt that it was everything I needed. I did not camp out, though. Even my firepit was inside the cabin, warm and relaxing. The gentle fire kindles were inviting, to sit by the window next to the fireplace and have a cup of freshly brewed tea. I wonder why the forest inspires protection. What is it about these majestic beings that embrace so peacefully, no questions asked?
I am having a hard time identifying a specific narrative that led me to think about forests in this particular way. I am convinced that I was influenced by storybooks and fairytales, and by my own media literacy growing up, which led me to think about forests as spaces for seclusion. As I tried to juggle my memory, one specific word came to mind: Gummiberry Juice. Growing up, I used to spend Sunday mornings watching the Spanish-dubbed version of The Adventures of the Gummi Bears, an animated television series produced by Walt Disney Animation Television in the United States. Even as I fondly remember the powers infused through the juice, what I am most nostalgic about is the forest where they would seclude. The idea of the forest as a space for safety is reinforced in other storylines I used to enjoy exploring while growing up, including The Smurfs and Chip n’ Dale. The best adventures happened in a forest, even in those stories that were not necessarily set in the midst of the woods. And even while the forest offered such possibilities, I was never a wilderness explorer. To me, it’s always been about the forest’s most sequestered areas –the neck of the woods– in my personal hideaway, looking out, with my own Gummiberry Juice.
