Nature is Calling

Stories

Hello Friend!

How are you today? Have you been outside? Oh yes, I know the weather can be unpredictable in Cincinnati, but you should try to be outside. Why you ask? Because nature is calling. No, no – not in the way that you’re thinking. It calls you in a completely different way. The trees want to tell you their stories (can you imagine all the things they have seen?). The sun wants to warm your skin. The animals want to let you take a peek into their world. Let’s take a stroll together. Get out of that chair and head out the door. Look, listen and feel.

What do you see when you walk? Do you notice the blue sky and the fluffy clouds? When was the last time you laid in the grass and guessed what shapes the clouds formed? Do you notice the children swinging in the neighborhood park? How about you hop on a swing and go back to your childhood? Who cares if you are in the wrong shoes? Take them off. When was the last time you walked around barefoot outside? Now hop on that swing. Start pumping those legs. Feel the wind blowing through your hair. Try to lean back for a minute. Let the carefree swinging take you away. You have no problems, no worries. Just enjoy this moment on the swing. Savor this moment.

Now I want you to listen. Listen beyond the laughing children and noisy cars. Do you hear the woodpecker? Can you find it up in the trees? Can you hear the squirrel rustling through the brush? Do you hear the dog barking?

Allow yourself to feel. What do you feel? How are your emotions? Was today a stressful day at work? Let it go. Did you get in an argument with your daughter? Let it go. Did you pay your car payment late? Let it go. Hit the snooze one too many times? Guess what I am going to say. Yep, you’re right. Let it go. Feel your spirits lighten. Nature wants you to relax and to enjoy all that it has to offer. Tranquility is only a step outside your door.

I challenge you to take a walk outside daily. Even in the rain and not just to get to the comfort of your car. It doesn’t have to be a long walk. Just let nature be your guide, your Zen, for a few minutes every day. You will not be disappointed.

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” – Khalil Gibran

Photo courtesy of Wes Peck

Photo courtesy of Wes Peck

Angie Brafford, Naturalist Clerk, Winton Woods