Have you ever walked through the grass? I don’t mean “Okay I’ve got thirty minutes to get to work. I hope there isn’t a lot of traffic…” while you rush across the lawn to your car, keys in hand. I am talking about walking through the grass, not just on it. When you walk through the grass, you engage in a completely different experience. I like to shed my socks and shoes and walk through the grass barefoot, letting my toes feeling every bump and dip on the ground’s surface and breathing in the crisp scent of grass as it is crushed beneath my feet.
Have you ever walked by a stream? Or, better yet, in a stream? Have you ever climbed a tree just because you wanted to see what your house looked like from the perspective of a bird? I believe that we should take time to watch the way a creek overflows and tips its muddy water onto the bank during a heavy rainfall. I believe that we should let daddy-long-legs walk over the porch without squealing and whisking them away. I believe that we should stop fearing that our hair will get messed up, and just duck under the ocean waves already.
I feel that too often, people tend to tolerate nature, only because they have to. “I can’t do anything about the dandelions that randomly pop up in my yard, so I guess I will have to let them be.” And when given the option, they destroy nature’s beauty. “This field could be turned into a shopping center to make our town more money.” I believe that nature should be appreciated, not simply tolerated. Instead of watching the wind arrange autumn’s tree leaves as they fall—try tracing the patterns they make. Instead of uprooting crocuses and violets to make a bouquet—try just letting them grow wherever the seeds land. Instead of listening to the crickets chirp at sunset—try dancing to their rhythm. And instead of smiling at the ripples in a lake—try laughing with them.