 |
 |
 |
nature walk
I’ve never been on a nature walk with my kids. At least, not near where we live.
If I had to give a reason, the best I could tell you is that here in the west, I don’t feel at home. I miss the beaches of New England. I miss the woods I grew up in, with ponds and skipping rocks. I miss drinking in the smell of earth and burning pine until I think my lungs will pop. I miss the leaves. I miss the ocean.
The desert and mountains in Utah are beautiful, but it’s not the same thing. Nature here makes me homesick.
But on Monday, after I dropped my kids off at school, my four-year-old and I got out of the car, and a perfect fall day was about to swallow us in one cool breeze. The sun was shining, while storm clouds lazily collected in pockets of sky. I could not take him inside to sit at home and watch Sesame Street while I worked. And so I decided to take a nature walk with him—here in the Rocky Mountains.
We drove to the mouth of the canyon near our house, and walked about a quarter of a mile—not even far enough to pass the huge houses on the way in. But it was far enough for my little guy to spy a caterpillar, leaves, a flower, acorns, a small “twinkling” reservoir, and a snake.
It was far enough for me to revel in the random musings of a four-year-old, and try desperately to hold on to everything he said:
“I wonder what it would be like if a caterpillar and a person got married. Yeah, a caterpillar and a human . . . Uh, that probably wouldn’t work.”
“This is so beautiful! What is making that water twinkle like that?”
“I’m gonna get all the water in the world and it’ll be in a bucket and it’ll be like a thousand gallons, and then I’m gonna pour it all out!”
I kept thinking how my kids’ days as little ones are almost over—how their little voices soon will be replaced by maturity and reason. How their soft, squishy skin is turning to tone and callouses right beneath my touch.
I thought about how foolish I’ve been not to enjoy the outdoors with them, simply because I don’t live in my favorite part of the country. I thought about how I am finding a life here for us, and it is good. I have seen the hand of God stretched out to our family, through friends and learning experiences and feelings of peace.
I am in a desert, and yet, I believe I am standing above a hidden well. And I know that we will be okay, and that the woods and ocean will be there waiting for us, whenever it is time to return.
11 Responses to “nature walk”
Leave a Reply
I think I’m going to cry, that was so beautiful.
So beautifully said
I always get homesick for the east when it’s fall. Out here it somehow doesn’t live up to all my memories and the things I enjoy back there. I do like the beauty around me here and enjoy looking up at the gorgeous mountains as I run my errands around the city. I will forever miss being on water, but I am thankful for the beauties, that although are different, are here.
Kudos to you for making the most of it. Nature walks can happen anywhere! However, I must say, if you were to travel just a little further west, you would find all those things you miss about New England.
I know, because those are all the same things I love about the Pacific Northwest.
I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago. It is such a beautiful spot to visit and I truly am inspired by your posts. Thank you for this one, I needed this reminder to take the moments, look for the beauty around me and find joy in where I am.
It is kind of funny that after reading this I found myself feeling completely opposite. After growing up in the red rocks of Southern Utah where a nature hike was right out my backdoor (honestly, we lived in a log home just below the cliffs); we now live in Michigan (close to Detroit) and it is hard for me to find “nature” for my kids to explore. We have been camping but half the time that is like at a huge groomed park and still doesn’t feel like nature to me. It is strange how the impressions when we are young stay with us and are hard to change. Hope you take time to enjoy all the nature there in the Rockies it really is an amazing place. The best part is that most of it is federal land so it is easy to go off the beaten path and explore (and there is so much uninhabitated space). I miss my mountains, sniff sniff. I will enjoy my lush fall weather here, though!
There is beauty all around, I agree. Glad you are doing well! I think of you often!
That was a beautiful post. I have been following you blog for a while now, but am writing to you for the first time. I guess what you said struck a chord, cos my younger one is growing fast too and we need to take these moments and see beauty where we are and appreciate all we have. Love your writing and photos.
This post is lovely & resonated deeply with me. 9 months ago I moved from my beautiful home in West Virginia to a suburb in Colorado. I’ve ached for the nature of the east coast but I am learning, through experiences much like the one you so eloquently described, to find the beauty & blessings that are here. So nice to know that such peace can always be found in my children’s smiles, no matter the geography.
I, too, have also lived in Colorado. When we got to Denver, I remember thinking, Wait a minute! This is the Mile High City! And what about John Denver? and Rocky Mountain High?! –It’s so flat here! And nature is clear out in the distance!!