Get outside.
It’s the way I keep it together, most days, the way I remember to be grateful. It’s what I tell my kids. It doesn’t matter what the temperature – get outside. I tell them there’s no such thing as bad weather, there’s only inappropriate gear. Most days, I find light in the smallest of outdoor details. I notice a tiny bird’s nest that stayed stuck in a tree, resilient, despite last night’s vicious winds. I notice patches of white snow that remain, even though the sun is blazing this morning. I notice teeny sprouts of green in an otherwise barren sidewalk median. Birds chirping. Bare branches of a tree looking to me like a female’s hips, standing askance.
On the weekend when the kids were running madly in the house, I told them just that: get outside.
They didn’t listen.
So I piled them in the car and drove out to the woods. They ran wildly there, too. They climbed trees. They stomped through frozen-over ponds; they pointed out brightly-colored birds and random still-green foliage memorialized under icy waters. They commented on the squishy sounds their boots made, and the satisfying crunch of frost beneath them when they stomped.
Get outside. It helps with perspective.
Oh, yes! Get outside. I love the detailed description you used in telling about what you see, and then the details of the weekend trip. Beautiful. The photo adds a lovely capstone.
Getting outside always makes me feel better too!
Yes! Fresh and sun can shift our mindset. It can change our perspective. My kids complain about hiking sometimes but afterward, they are like different little people- kinder, happier, calmer. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, outside is wonderful. When my son was in the Boy Scouts there was a saying: Everyday day is a good day when you dress for the weather. I am inspired to take a walk now!
Laughed at the inappropriate gear comment because that’s what got me outside this past weekend when I REALLY did not want to. Glad you got them outside! I need a pair of those boots.
I need to be outside every day. It is where I feel most connected, grounded, and reflective. They will thank you someday!
As always, your photographs and ponderings are moving and awe-inspiring. We could all use a little more perspective in our lives. The forcefulness behind your line, "Get outside" feels important. Thanks to your blog, I drag my laptop outdoors this afternoon.
The imagery in this post combined with the figurative language is stunning, Nawal. I’m going to be on the lookout for hips in tree branches. And those boots! Thank goodness for them because they are definitely gear she needs!