Time to Reflect…
My vacation is almost over and as I go wild for nature by a river I’ll take some time to reflect on the connection to nature I’ve been able to renew. Visiting an unfamiliar city, I realized that nature is like a familiar friend maybe wearing different clothes but recognizable just the same. Nature can be the known in a place that is unknown.
As I walked and took the buses, I used the river as one of my landmarks. I figure out if something was above or below, and if I ventured away from the river, knew I had to return toward it to get to where I was staying. The river became a sort of homing point.
While the river was central for me, it seemed to be for other families too. One sunny day, I noticed women doing washing in the river. Clothes were spread out on the banks to dry or piled in baskets likely to take home and hang up. Some small children played on the banks, staying close to their moms.
There were solid, sturdy benches lining the river and a path that meandered alongside. The trees provided welcome shade for sitting down and having a rest. I discovered that on the weekend, the road that’s built beside the river is closed in the morning and early afternoon for bicycle use only. That’s why I had seen so many shortly after arriving in the city. There were many families cycling along enjoying this way of being together and connecting to nature too.
I sat on one of the benches and thought how important and special was the time I’d been able to spend in nature. I was able to take pleasure in such simple things as the smell of fresh bread as I woke in the morning and the exquisite taste of golden honey spread on toast. My other senses seemed heightened too.
Being more relaxed I didn’t complain about the noisy buses or the church bells that started to ring even before six in the morning. It all reminded me how nature can help us deal with the challenges of everyday.
Hopefully, I can come back soon and I will try and include more nature time when I get home, for kids and for myself. I’m sure I’ll need a refresher course in not taking nature for granted. How about you, do you need a nature refresh?