"In the woods we
return to reason and faith." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
It was one
of those beautiful summer days when the stream sparkles with the freshness of
spring and every green is new as I sought my favorite shelter; my sturdy, shady
tree with a front-seat view of a vibrant yellow meadow hosting a butterfly
convention, that I realized the tree had fallen. And the shimmering aspens
whispered “He told you…”
While we can’t
always wish away the changes in life or
nature, we can direct the impact to a
tolerable degree through acceptance and belief in the natural order of love and
life and nature. A baby’s first cry in a
loved one’s last sigh… I stood in the sunlight and blinked away tears until
I gaped in astonished wonder at four knee-high saplings where my fallen tree
had stood! And a few short years went by…
On a recent
visit to our summer retreat my grandson pitched his little tent between the
four impressively tall former saplings as I sat with my books beneath my newest
favorite tree. Having found the old pine with initials carved by a high school
flame, my daughter reported the initials were carved much higher than she
remembered (Ha!) as I fondly gazed at the meadow where, after a nature walk with
her father, my (then) seven year-old proclaimed that her daddy knew more about
(animal) poop than anyone in the
whole world! Kids and nature; one of the most rewarding combinations.
In fact,
nature played a really big part in the creation of “Beanie’s Backyard”
as it was a lizard, a very sneaky
lizard who peeked through the window and caught the gaze of a toddler engaged
in employing all tactics; writhing, screaming, rolling etc., to avoid having
his diaper changed and--the magical gaze held! Long enough for the diaper
change, and long enough to foster an insatiable interest in lizards and the
outdoors as well.
Are you
thinking about an upcoming vacation? Do you have an inspiring vacation story to
share? Do you enjoy the outdoors, or room service? Hiking or repelling? I’d
love to hear your thoughts!
I'm looking forward to our annual trip back east to see our kids. On the way to New Jersey I always like to visit Tennessee where my mother had lived and maybe take some time for a walk in the woods in the Great Smokies. Now that my mother is gone, once we have sold her house I don't know how often I'll get back to East Tennessee. I want this one last summer to go stay in her house and hopefully visit with some of my old friends.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Wrote By Rote
Sounds fantastic, Arlee! I love the Smoky Mountains! Not so much in winter, but then I'm from Arizona :-) I do hope you get the time to walk among the trees...and pictures! Get some awesome pictures, it's easy when the subject is gorgeous without even posing :-)
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