Welcome
As most of you know, I am a walker living in South Carolina's rural area of McCormick. Three state parks and the Savannah River surround us, giving ample space to explore, take photos, think, and learn about new venues of ideas. As I write this now, I sit in the backyard during the eclipse and watch how Nature adapts to this subtle change in light and shadow.
The birds are busy at the feeders and seem oblivious to this phenomenon, but I know they are not. This morning, the tune of their song was so loud it woke us up, and the echoes in the forest bounced off the trees into the shadows of the wee hours before dawn. There is a family of deer quietly eating off new leaves that Spring has just produced this past week. They seem content and peaceful. It is a good sign that they feel safe, even with me in eye distance.
The squirrels are still shyly walking up to ask for a peanut, and as they come closer, it is adorable to see them stand on their hind legs, hands connected as if in prayer, with their tiny lips moving. I chuckle at this, and when asked if they were ready for a peanut, they stamp their feet as if dancing. As I count one…two…three, their eyes move upward, ready to catch one flying from the sky before another jumps in front. A few are not afraid and will take the shelled peanut out of my hand, and after it is positioned safely in its mouth, they will stop, and our eyes will meet. I quietly say you can go, and then it scurries away.
And I smile…the gratitude I have to experience this moment, just as it is, is profound.
It wasn't always like this; at one time, I was a single parent raising two boys, working two jobs, and taking care of my mom. Who had time? But, if I knew then what I know now, you better believe, I would make the time a few times a month to engage in Nature.
What Nature has to share with us cannot be found in our minds' busyness and the world's chaos.
It is found when focusing on our breathing, heartbeat, and the unmistakable feeling of being alive. This feeling will pull us to take even ten minutes of our day in silence, maybe a walk in the park or sitting outside in the evening for a few breaths, looking up into the vastness of our universe. These moments have allowed me to bless the day for what it was and release it to make space from within for the new one ahead.
The comment section is perfect for sharing your thoughts and asking questions about whatever you feel drawn to ask.
We all have a story to share, but we rarely do. Staying safe in our shells keeps us protected and does not change the world of its hunger to do so.