I’m not sure how it happened. I’m raising a hardcore nature enthusiast. My 5-year-old daughter has a profound appreciation for the natural world around her. She gets upset if we must sacrifice an unwelcome insect and notices things about her surroundings that we all seem to miss. Neither my husband nor I are very “outdoorsy” so I’m glad to see that she has an interest in it because it’s opening my eyes to all the cool things I don’t “see” because I’m too busy. Needless to say, the disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico has been very upsetting to her. She’s asked several times if she can go down there to wash birds. Whether you are a nature lover or not, the tragedy in the Gulf is unfathomable and we have no idea how this will ultimately impact our ecosystem. It’s very sad.
I think too often we take for granted what is right in front of us. For example, we have this amazing park right by our house. Literally steps from my door is a walking path that meanders through the forest and stays pretty comfortable even on a hot day because there is so much tree cover. However, I really haven’t taken advantage of this amenity over the years possibly because it is so close and I figure that I can go anytime. Now, because of my daughter, I am taking time to “smell the roses” so to speak and I have decided that I will take steps to appreciate what is right outside my front door. It’s amazing some of the lessons I learn from my kids and this is a pretty important one. Just take a look at some of the pictures and video I took (just with my cell phone) on my morning walk today. I think next time I’ll lug my big camera along and see what other cool things I can photograph.
What are you missing that’s right in front of you? What aren’t you appreciating? I can tell you that I now “see” the forest and many other things for that matter.
