The place of nature in solace and grief. Time on Merri Creek

A rich morning on the creek last week.

I wondered who would sign up for this new venture initiated by Merri Creek Management Committee? Not knowing, I planned The place of nature in solace and grief to be for anyone who felt drawn to it.

Did we make marks with natural pigments? Of course we did. Did we write little poems? Make books? Observe and learn? Yes, we did.

Some griefs people brought were about: migration, friendships changing, bereavement, the weight of the world, moving interstate and leaving a community behind.

What they said:

I liked that it was structured, but not too structured. This allowed for people to feel what they were feeling.

It was beautiful to step away from the everyday, and step into solace with others. Solace was the perfect word for what the event created.

The way the walk had different 'stops' enabled me to shed stuff on the way down, and set me up for the experience of the creek.

I liked spending time talking to other people about their experiences and feeling the emotions as they came.

Thanks for the opportunity Merri Creek Management Committee - what a great idea to broaden out from an ecological focus and enable a group of people to be together drawing inspiration from the creek and being together.