Growing up in Arden, Twice

This was written for the Arden Page on October 20th, 2010, 10/20/2010. (numberologists must be having a field day during this first few years of the new century).

My parents moved into Ardentown in the late 60’s, years before I was born. I was lucky enough to be an Arden child during the 70’s and 80’s, and to claim this inheritance my whole life.

As a little girl, I would wander the woods for hours, hopping rocks, playing games and feeling a sense of protection provided by the fairies and gnomes who played alongside me. Memories of mayday festivities, ACRA and the Arden Pool, haunted houses, Easter egg hunts, and Christmas plays fill my early years. I was offered a connection with nature and human communities, a rare thing at that point and time. Most kids at my school were living in soulless suburban sprawl where they were taught to be suspicious of their neighbors.

Nevertheless, I’ve had a case of itchy feet my whole life. I’m surprised I wasn’t found out on Harvey Road hitching a ride south on I-95 in diapers.

Like a fish that doesn’t know it’s in water, I never really had an appreciation for what I had growing up in Arden until I left. Age 18, while attending Prescott College in Arizona and looking through a book of Intentional Communities. I wanted to live in one and thought to myself, “I wonder if there are any in Delaware?” Imagine my surprise as I leafed through the pages and saw “ The Village Of Arden” listed under Delaware’s heading. I guess what we are looking for is most often right under our noses!

As many times as I’ve moved away, Arden has never left me. When I go to a peaceful place within, I often imagine myself sitting on the moss-covered rocks in the middle of the creek near Indian Circle.

In April 2006, I chose to move back to Arden to live from Berkeley, CA. I wanted to be close to my family again. I wanted to fill in the gap of years between 17 and 32. I had done a lot of growing and changing and so had they. I knew if I were to move back to Delaware, I wanted to live in Arden, surrounded by the invisible bubble of insulation that protects it from the general chaos of the world. My experience as an adult here has been sweet over the past 4½ years and I’ll be sad to end this chapter on November 14^th. Through my home-based massage therapy practice, Body Wisdom, I have gotten to know a lot of you wonderful Ardenites. This has truly been a place to rest and nest. I have grown roots deep and strong enough to support the expanse of my wings. I have grown-up here, again.

I am off on a new adventure, starting in Nicaragua teaching basic massage skills to women so they have a means to earn income. Followed by a winter work trade on the southern coast of Panama where I’ll do some visioning for the coming years. This will be a practice in making friends with the unknown.