On my second day in New Zealand, I made a koru necklace out of cow bone at a studio in Coromandel, and wore it on the rest of my journey. The word koru means “loop” in Maori. It comes from the shape of a new leaf, that would slowly unfurl into the silver tree fern adorning many of New Zealand’s national symbols. Its inner coil symbolizes the beginning of life or a return to origins, while its circular shape represents perpetual movement and growth. I love this symbolism and the necklace is one of the few pieces of jewelry/souvenir I’ve managed to not lose all these years.
When I saw the actual plant on a hike to Mirror Lake, I found it both beautiful and intriguing, and went down an Internet rabbit hole to learn more. Ferns have been on this earth for 360 million years, 12,000 times longer than humans. Because the top of the fern looks like a violin, a young fern is also called a fiddlehead. The process of unfurling has a name too — circinate vernation. As the fern emerges from its coil, the bottom leaves start the photosynthesis process, which supports its further growth, until one day the entire leaf is strong enough to stretch out on its own.
I once had a conversation with a friend, who suggested that I should consider having children because at some point I will get bored. I found the idea a bit incredulous. Perhaps I might be bored for a moment, an hour, a day. But life, with all its mysteries, can never be boring. Even something as common as a fern holds within it so much knowledge and meaning. I could be never bored of life, I only hope that I’ll use my time wisely to make it worthwhile.
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