Happy Earth Day, my lovely reader friends!
Last week, we had the most perfect spring day, and I thought I would share it with you here...
It was just slightly cool out with a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. Squirrels were chasing each other through the tallest branches and in the not-too-far-off distance, a woodpecker was happily pecking away. It was my most favorite kind of spring day. The sky was a bit moody, and the sun was tucked behind the clouds...perhaps rain on the way? And I was inspired. I very giddily rambled my way around our garden, taking photos of nature and her beauty on this fine, beautiful, magical April afternoon. As I was meandering around, I felt a slight trickle of rain here and there. Surprisingly, it wasn't at all humid. And just as soon as I had taken my last photo for the day, a huge downpour of rain began falling from the sky. We sat undercover for a good long while just watching and listening to the rain...it was a good, steady shower bringing life to the earth and making the ground plenty muddy. It was then that I realized one of my favorite color combinations: rich forest green that is on the trees in the summertime and deep chocolatey brown that is the color of sloppy mud. Simply put, I guess you can say that I love the way the earth looks after a spring or summer rain. And the smell just after a spring or summer shower? I wish I could bottle it up and just breathe it in on a whim whenever my heart desires.
That day also brought back a fond memory...
Back in our old neighborhood, where I spent the first almost 24 years of my life, something very interesting happened nearly every time it rained in the spring or summer. Everyone came out of their house to just sit and admire the rain. Or nearly everyone. Looking back, it's quite odd and funny that so many of our neighbors did this, as did we. I have many vivid memories sitting on the back of my dad's truck in our garage watching the rain. Our neighbors would be in their garages or on their front porches doing the same thing. It obviously wasn't something that anyone planned or talked about, it just sort of happened. And it felt like some sort of celebration. Everyone in their own private little corners of the world, of our street, obviously in wonder and awe and enthrallment of the rain and thunder and breezes blowing. Taking in the relaxation and renewal and peace that rainfall brings. I always thought how cool that was, but it's one of those things that you don't realize how awesome it really is until it's over. Now, most of those people have moved from that neighborhood, as did my family. But it's like we all shared in something together whenever it rained.
We hadn't sat out to watch the rain in a long time...I forgot just how much I missed it. It really is quite therapeutic and calming and mesmerizing. And I got to thinking how I really should (and need!) to that more often. In many ways, I have felt so disconnected to the earth and nature ever since we moved to our current home almost 6 years ago. Several factors play into this, but on that day, I was reminded of the healing powers of our earth and of being in nature. As I grow older, I grow more and more in love with nature and of the healing power and wisdom of Mother Earth. She truly is the gentlest, kindest, most compassionate teacher and I am forever grateful to be her student. My belief that our Earth is indeed a magical wonder is confirmed to me every day. May we realize just how much Mother Earth loves us in such a gentle, kind, compassionate way and may that inspire us in how we treat ourselves and others, along with the beautiful Earth we call home and *all* the creatures, critters, animals, and birds that we share this home with. I think we could all learn from nature in so many ways, but perhaps starting with those three things: gentleness, kindness and compassion.
In celebration of Earth Day and of all the wonders and wisdom of Mother Earth, I have compiled the photographs from the perfect spring day last week in our garden along with some quotes that have inspired and uplifted my heart and soul. I really hope you find some inspiration and beauty here today...
And until next time,
May you ...
forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair.
~ Khalil Gibran ~
We breathe air exhaled from trees whose leaves are made of starlight...Our veins echo the patterns of rivers, branches, and root systems. We are not a part of nature. We are nature.
~ Marysia Miernowska ~
Once upon a time, there was a simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.
~ Terry Tempest Williams ~
To me, being spiritual means...
whispering to trees, laughing with flowers, falling in love with sunsets, consulting the water, and worshipping the stars. One hand to my heart. One hand to the Earth. And sparkles. Tons of them.
~ Unknown ~
A seed knows how to grow a plant with leaves, flowers, and fruit. A pine tree is not just matter; it possesses a sense of knowing. Each atom in a particle of dust has intelligence and is a living reality. Like each of the cells in our body, everything has its innate wisdom. Mother Earth creates, nourishes, and sustains life, and has infinite wisdom and intelligence.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~
If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~
Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.
~ Rumi ~
Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street to a sacred bond.
~ Robin Wall Kimmerer ~
I don't think existence wants you to be serious. I have not seen a serious tree. I have not seen a serious bird. I have not seen a serious sunrise. I have not seen a serious starry sky. It seems they are all laughing in their own ways, dancing in their own ways. We may not understand it, but there is a subtle feeling that the whole existence is a celebration.
~ Osho ~
Never did nature say one thing and wisdom another.
~ Edmund Burke ~
The sun nourishes. The moon inspires. The plants heal. The trees teach. The flowers laugh. The wind whispers. Nature is medicine.
~ Nabalo ~
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.
~ Marcus Aurelius ~
Living on earth is actually very magical. Imagine how for someone living on a different planet, butterflies would seem like a dream- flying little colorful things that resemble flower petals. Or how they would describe snow. 'When it's cold, little cloud flowers fall from the sky and they're so fragile that they melt instantly as soon as they land on someone.' Or the sun and moon, 'They switch places in the sky, one starts the day with its golden light and provides warmth and another one lulls people to sleep. And they do it every day, again and again.' We're actually living in a fantasy land, we've just gotten used to it.
~ Unknown ~
The world can be so kind. Butterflies will land and stick in your hair. The smell of rain will float through your mind in the middle of the night. The water we swim in is cold and clear. The fruits we eat so sweet. This world can be so, so kind.
~ Unknown ~
I believe in the cosmos. All of us are linked to the cosmos. Look at the sun. If there is no sun, then we cannot exist. So nature is my god. To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals.
~ Mikhail Gorbachev ~
Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~
For me, nature is my church and my healer.
~ Olivia Newton-John ~
I understood at a very early age that in nature, I felt everything I should feel in church but never did. Walking in the woods, I felt in touch with the universe and with the spirit of the universe.
~ Alice Walker ~
Happy Earth Day, friends!
🌎🌿🌻🦋🌞🌙🌳