Yesterday was a beautiful day. Fortunately I work from home, so instead of taking a break and staring out the window wishing I could be outside like I used to do, I now grab my cup of coffee and head out. I’m not out long, just a few minutes. Just long enough to take a breath of fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun on my face and watch the birds dancing around from tree to tree. Ahhh…. funny how just a few minutes outside can feel like someone plugged me into a charger. I feel refreshed, and ready to continue on.
I often wonder why more businesses don’t have a (non-smoking) patio or even a small deck, giving people the option to recharge outside. I think they would find productivity would increase. It’s amazing what that connection to the outdoors can do for you.
After my son got home from school we had snack in the back yard followed by a walk with our dog. We walked over to the small lake by our house, sometimes chatting, sometimes running and playing, but mostly just observing. About halfway around the lake, he turned to me and said, “Mom, isn’t it nice to see Mother Nature again?”. All I could do was smile. I thought about asking him what he meant by that so I could hear him describe it, or explaining that she’s always here, but I knew what he meant. I didn’t need to. I just responded with, “It sure is.”
As we continued our walk he pointed out the green shoots where the cattails are coming up and laughed hysterically as he watched ducks skid across the water as they landed on the lake. Then he noticed garbage that had blown into the water. He couldn’t comprehend why people would leave garbage. Then, almost as if on cue, a couple walked past us. My son had been watching them like a hawk. After they passed he turned and in a disapproving tone said, “that guy littered”. I asked how he knew, if he saw him do it (because if he did, I had missed it). His response was, “Not today. Another day, when I was walking with my dad, I saw him throw his cigarette into the lake.” I was amazed that he remembered someone from a previous walk, he obviously made a bad first impression with my son! I love that he’s still so innocent and truly thinks littering is one of the most horrible things you can do besides using bad words. I also love that he has already learned to appreciate the value Mother Nature has to offer us.
I’m proud that at such a young age he already “gets it”.
Kate
Walnuts n Pears 