In Need of Therapy? Try a Dose of Nature
I’m an Unabashed Tree Hugger
So today, we were driving through the countryside close to our home when out of the blue a deer crossed the road.
We slowed the car down to a crawl and that’s when we saw her baby on the other side of the road desperately wanting to cross and join mama.
Stop the car, I said to my husband. He did.
Quickly baby took advantage of our generosity and crossed the road. Mama and baby disappeared into the narrow band of trees, and we cheered.
It felt so good.
It made me feel good like I do when the chickadees feed on my giant sunflowers. It lifted my spirits in the same way that watching hummingbirds’ flit from one bright colored zinnia to another makes me feel.
I forgot everything else for a minute.
It was the best minute of the day. I knew that I’d just witnessed something good.
Nature.
I don’t believe that I represent the most important species in the universe. Minutes like the above make that fact even clearer.
I need more minutes in nature.
If you’re stressed, tired, worried, disenfranchised, emotionally unavailable, disillusioned, angry, lonely, frenzied, or depressed and anxious, get out there and sample a minute or two or three of nature.
No talking and no cell phones allowed.
Indulge your five senses. Listen to the sounds of nature. Feel the air on your skin. Smell the many scents. Look at everything in wonder. Even dare to forage and taste if you have the opportunity.
This is what we are designed to do.
I contend that we could heal or at the very least soothe our souls with daily ventures into the woods, fields, and gardens.
Go ahead. Try it. Remember. No talking. No cell phones. It’s the cheapest therapy available to humankind.
I decided to share my inspirational minute when I read a fellow writer’s story called Nature, Sunrise, and Tea.
Teresa is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
