So those of you living in Wisconsin, experienced as we often do in Wisconsin a dramatic temperature change this week. On Tuesday, I was taking my first bike ride of the year–in February!!! And then yesterday I barely could walk outside without tears in my eyes as the cold harsh wind slapped me in the face. Thus, my inspiration for this week’s blog. . .
As I have grown older, I have begun to enjoy and appreciate all the beauty around us. Like, I really take it in. I don’t just walk or drive past it as I once did. I pause and really reflect on the sights, sounds and smells and have found it to give me great peace. I know I did not do this in my younger years and I was going to generalize and say that all people appreciate nature more as they age but I know quite a few young people who not only appreciate it but make consistent efforts to be outdoors (and not just for the great picture to post😉)
My family did not take sightseeing vacations when I was young. The only time I remember doing this is my mom and dad taking me to see Hoover Dam when we were in Las Vegas. So the first time I remember seeing some extraordinary pieces of nature was when Don and I traveled to California the first year we were dating and going to Yosemite Park. However, as I look back, I don’t remember truly appreciating the sights we were seeing. I was freshly in love and this trip was about spending time with the person I was contemplating spending the rest of my life with. Now, why couldn’t I do both??? I don’t know! I just was not that appreciative and once again I don’t know why or how this has changed but now being outside, seeing the beauty, feeling the sun and the breeze, smelling the freshness fills me up sometimes to the brink of tears. I am so glad that we made a return trip with our girls to see Yosemite. Even though I was still in love, I took more notice of the extraordinary sights that Yosemite provides.
I began noticing how the beauty of nature was impacting my emotional being six years ago when we moved downtown. Now, you might think how moving downtown to all the buildings and the hustle and bustle of the city brings you closer to nature. Well this move impacted my commute to work. I now had to drive over the Hoan Bridge each morning. If any of you take this drive each morning you will know exactly what I am talking about. I don’t know how I made it all of those years without getting in a car crash. Each morning I had the most incredible views of the sky and Lake Michigan and each morning it was completely different and it did not matter the season. I saw incredible sunrises, wondrous cloud formations, and varying colors of water and sky. It is difficult to explain the emotions I would get and when I would get to work I would always try to explain to my co-workers what I saw but words could never describe.
The next part is going to sound a bit out there but I told you that I was going to be vulnerable. Crossing the bridge each morning made me feel closer to the people I have lost in my life. I felt like they were saying good morning to me and they were letting me know that they “heard me”. I would have incredibly insightful conversations and did my best thinking during those trips over the bridge. The most significant message I felt was the morning after I decided to retire, which was not an easy decision for me. I drove over that bridge and it was a cloudy morning but there were two breaks in the clouds that let some rays of sun come through. It was incredibly beautiful and then the song “Bang the Drum All Day” came on the radio with the lyrics: “I don’t want to work. I want to bang on the drum all day.” I knew at that moment that my mom and dad were saying congratulations and confirming that I was making the right decision!
My public service announcement and something we really tried to teach and practice with our students when I worked at Connects is getting outside and being around nature is so important for not only your emotional and mental health but also your physical health. Here is a great article that talks about all the benefits Health benefits of being outdoors
I already shared one of my favorite nature moments but I want to end by sharing a couple more and I also included some recent pictures of my family and I enjoying the beauty of nature. I would love to hear about some of your favorites. Share a comment or a picture!
Anyone who knows me knows I love the beach! I love long walks on the beach, I love hearing the water crashing on the shore, and I love the feeling of the warm sun. We recently traveled to Puerto Morales, Mexico. Great city south of Cancun. While we were there we did some snorkeling and swam in several cenotes.
It is not always about the warmth and sun. I love the first snowfall of the year. It is usually the thick heavy flakes that sticks to all the trees and it looks like a winter wonderland outside. I really like walking at night when it is snowing and it is so quiet you can almost hear the snowflakes falling.
The fall colors! You can’t get more beautiful than that. The street that my former school was on was lined with these big beautiful trees and for about two weeks each fall I would drive my car so slowly down the road(again surprised no car crashes during my commute!) just to take in the beauty as long as I could knowing that it would disappear quickly. I wish there wasn’t such a short window on those fall colors.
I also want to give a shout out to the city of Milwaukee. It is on a beautiful lake and I know skylines are not a part of nature but when I take my walks down by the lake I usually cross the bridge by the art museum and the views of the lake and the skyline are just breathtaking.
Okay. . .those are a few of mine. Let’s hear about some of yours!
