Story Info
Story Info
Claire Hayes and Jennifer
Dartrey Forest, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Ireland
2021
Type of Wounded Place
Story & Experience
As we set out on our walk through the beautiful forest, we took turns picking stones from the path. Each stone represented someone we knew who had died during the past year. We took turns listening to the story of each person’s life and why their death impacted on us. Forty-five minutes into our walk, we each were carrying a full bag of stones. As you can see from the photo, the sadness of the stories affected us both.
When we arrived at the shore of a beautiful lake, we used the stones to form a bird, the symbol of ‘Bringing Joy to Wounded Places’ and a circle, to symbolise unity.We did the reverse of bringing joy to a wounded place. Instead, we took our wounds to a peaceful place and discovered joy. As we took turns in throwing the stones, one by one, into the lake, we were struck by the beauty of the ripples each one caused. It is hard to describe the deep sense of peace and yes,
As we set out on our walk through the beautiful forest, we took turns picking stones from the path. Each stone represented someone we knew who had died during the past year. We took turns listening to the story of each person’s life and why their death impacted on us. Forty-five minutes into our walk, we each were carrying a full bag of stones. As you can see from the photo, the sadness of the stories affected us both.
joy, we felt but perhaps you will see it in our faces in the photo we took immediately afterwards.
When we arrived at the shore of a beautiful lake, we used the stones to form a bird, the symbol of ‘Bringing Joy to Wounded Places’ and a circle, to symbolise unity.We did the reverse of bringing joy to a wounded place. Instead, we took our wounds to a peaceful place and discovered joy. As we took turns in throwing the stones, one by one, into the lake, we were struck by the beauty of the ripples each one caused. It is hard to describe the deep sense of peace and yes,
Dartrey Forest, Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Ireland
RECENT STORIES
Remembrance Day for Lost Species in Helsinki 2023
On November 30th, there was first a session organized by the Finnish social and health sector project about eco-anxiety and eco-emotions (www.ymparistoahdistus.fi). This “morning coffee roundtable”, a hybrid event, focused this time on ecological grief [...]
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an area of natural beauty in West Sussex, England. It is also one of the very few remaining areas of extensive lowland heath left in Europe. This rare and threatened landscape is [...]
