Opening Up to Nature

When I was a little girl I would rush home and play under the bushes out back. Our yard was a veritable Secret Garden with huge 50 year old rhododendron and huge arborvitae that towered over my little head. I would feel a sense of reverence for these old bushes; I felt in some way had a sense of wisdom I would never know.

Nature is always talking to us—be it through the dreary weather that makes us want to press snooze one more time, or the spring in our step when the sun shines bright on a fresh spring day.

There is a reason why we discuss weather at the checkout—nature is what we all have in common. We are inherently connected to the rhythms of nature. Sometimes we need to awaken to its gifts.

Notice a day at this week that is opened up to you. The clouds, or the breeze, or the smell of fresh cut grass. When we let these moments affect us, we are not only present to nature, but to ourselves.

When we are present to ourselves, we grow our hearts and build our inner strength...like those old rhodedendrons—knotty, resilient, welcoming.