This past weekend, my earth-loving, barefoot walking 15 year old daughter, spent a night in the wilderness living off the land with a friend.
Mason and Cora stripped down to cotton tunics and walked into the woods with just a knife and tools needed to start a fire by hand. No cellphones, headlamps, watches, dishes; not a single piece of modern camping gear.
They gathered wood and pulled bark off downed cottonwood trees to build a shelter. To fish for dinner, they created a hook by whittling a willow branch and attached it to twine “cordage” they made from stinging nettle plants. When the fish wouldn’t bite on the grasshopper bait, they foraged for their meal, eating strawberry goosefoot berries, thistle and burdock root. And as the sunset, they closed out their day skinny dipping in the river.
To stay warm through the night, a valiant attempt was made to start a fire with a bow drill before asking Cora’s dad for help, who was camping within earshot. Once the fire was started, without matches I must add, he left them alone again.
As the dark enveloped the girls, they laid themselves out long, backs directly on the earth and watched the moon traverse the sky, taking turns tending and feeding the fire.
It was cold, y’all, in the low 50’s here in the Idaho mountains. And at home, tucked under my down comforter, I woke several times thinking of the girls bare legs, arms and feet…wondering how they were managing.
Thankfully, in the early morning hours, they decided to shift their standards and grabbed sleeping bags to warm up. And by morning, they woke smiling…exhausted, but happy…with stories to tell about their long night in the woods.
Just to be clear, as a girl from the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, I did not grow up with primitive wilderness skills. Since moving out west over 25 years ago, I’ve spent numerous nights sleeping out under the stars without a tent…but never almost naked and I was always well equipped with a super toasty sleeping bag.
It’s inspiring to witness Mason and Cora’s bravery, as well as their draw to simplicity and nature; not unlike Thoreau and Emerson years ago. And I’m impressed by their desire to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to exist with as little as possible. As one of my greatest teachers, Mason’s actions remind me of how little we truly need in this life…and that enduring tough times will make us stronger.
So in this time of great uncertainty, these questions come to mind:
What do we really NEED?
What are we capable of enduring?
And what stories will we have to tell from living through this challenging and interesting time?
I hope you remember your bravery, strength and adaptability. And that you know you’re not alone in this wilderness.
We are all in this together and will rise stronger from it.