Renewal
There were so many. One after another came scurrying out of the trees. Some digging. Some chewing. Some running from one spot to another. Chipmunks surrounded me in chipper delight.
I had gone to the forest for clarity. A practice I often do when I need a new perspective. This time, the topic was money.
I faced two particular financial challenges. First, the ways I knew how to make money were causing problems with my autism. Sensory and social overload led to burnout, making it difficult for me to find a sustainable path. The second challenge was art. I wanted to earn my living with art, but I kept receiving messages from others that discouraged me from doing so. I couldn't find an empowering point of view in our culture, so I searched elsewhere. I looked to nature for new answers.
I walked along the path and found a pinecone sitting on the ground. I picked it up and looked at it. An insight came. Money hurts because it is the thing that separates us from nature. Money only works with humans. It's our form of trade. And because of money, we have a natural sense of reciprocity with other humans. If I want something from another person, I will naturally pay them for it.
But money only works with humans. If I want something from nature, I can take it. No need to pay for it. There is no need to give something in return.
Money is useless to a tree. It couldn't buy water or soil with it.
Money hurts because it is the source of disconnection with the rest of nature. I carefully lay the pinecone back down and kept walking. A raven swooped down in front of me, so I decided to follow it.
It led me to a bench in the woods. Since no one was around, I sat down. After a bit, I noticed something peeking out behind the bush—a little nose. Then I saw the tiny claws and finally the eyes. A rather adorable chipmunk was staring at me.
I looked at it, and it looked at me. Slowly, it crept forward. Realizing it was safe, it came a little closer until it reached my shoe and kissed my foot.
Then they all came out. Chipmunk after chipmunk. Digging and running all over the place.
I had once heard that chipmunks symbolized luck. The idea of luck always bothered me because it felt disempowering. People have told me that artists only make it because of luck. It had nothing to do with merit, hard work, or talent—just luck. The idea of luck can become an excuse not even to try, because what's the point?
I didn't like the concept of luck, but I did love these chipmunks. What if luck was something different? What if I could have a say in the matter? What if it was empowering?
I noticed something on the bench next to me. A wallet! Someone had forgotten their wallet and left it sitting on the bench. They were probably looking for it.
I decided to stay with the wallet and sit there until they came. That way, it wouldn't get stolen. So I sat there hanging out with the chipmunks for quite a while. Eventually, the person came, and I gave it to them. They were very grateful.
When I drove back and checked my phone, there was a message. My husband lost his wallet a few days ago, and we couldn't find it anywhere. I checked the message, and someone we knew had found it.
It had fallen out of our car in the Sprouts parking lot at night. It was there all night until she saw it. When she opened it, she recognized it was my husband's and called us. When we retrieved the wallet, it was completely intact. Nothing was missing. That is rare because a wallet in a parking lot at night would most likely be stolen. Not ours.
That's when I understood what the chipmunks were trying to show me. Luck doesn't just happen. It's something we can generate through giving. What we give comes back in a new form, which looks like luck.
Money doesn't have to hurt. It doesn't have to disconnect me from the rest of nature. I might not be able to give a tree money, but I can use money to plant one. I can give back to nature and create a reciprocal relationship with all forms of life. By sharing, I also create luck. It reappears in various forms and fosters a positive flow.
I started planting trees that day by donating 10% of my business earnings to tree-planting efforts. I used the nonprofit "One Tree Planted". Initially, I planted one to two trees at a time. Over time, the flow increased, and the amounts increased. I've now planted over 6,700 trees. Hopefully, even more by the time you read this.
Money doesn't have to hurt. It can be a source of joy, love, luck, and connection with all forms of life. It can be something new.
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About the Artwork
Silence was created entirely out of tiny pieces of paper cut out of recycled magazines. The original, prints, greeting cards and journals are available with the image.
