To live as “one” is the nature – and heart - of coexistence.

So much life on this one small planet.

Two or four legged (or more!), fins, wings…

Speaking in languages or chirping, barking, howling…

Living in the wilds and living in cities, towns, villages.

People of different tribes, philosophies and religions.

Yet here we all are, coexisting.

Sharing space and yet often having little in common.

except that we are all inhabiting this planet.

How we master this “living together” is through acknowledging

coexistence and the respectful relationship

we have with all living things, including the planet we live on.

Coexistence is how we navigate our way through the day.

Simple things like nodding good morning to a stranger on the street, or making space for someone on a crowded bus are examples of coexistence in action – it’s acknowledgement of “the other” in the space we share at any one time - at work, school, or play, or on our commute. At home we see coexistence at play when there is harmony in our relationships of “living together” – often created by mutually agreed considerations around space, noise, tidiness, and “doing your bit”.

But these days, as urban life moves into the country, and wildlife into the city, it’s our relationship to nature that best illustrates the importance of coexistence.

For it is in the garden, city park, or in the wilds of the country where we begin our understanding of how we can all best live and thrive together. In the dead of winter, coexistence is acknowledging the help humans can provide to the planet’s wild things through the sustenance and shelters we offer. This can be seen in flowers we plant that when in bloom provide nourishment for our butterflies and bees, or in the berry bearing shrubs and trees we donate to their care so that when their harvest is juicy and fit to burst humans and birds can forage and, yes, share. Coexistence can be seen and felt. It’s the awe, joy and harmony that comes when all the elements around us are woven together without conflict – the sight of a fox calmly trotting through the urban park as we sit and read a book under a tree that provides shade for us, branches for nests and berries for the birds, is coexistence at work (and play!)  An acknowledgement that in the amazing but often challenging world we live in, we can, at our best, live in harmony, as One.

 Recommended Reading: Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry (Simon & Schuster)