Do you make time for nature? Do you notice the details and do you slow down for the tiny joys?
I was out for a morning walk with my dog earlier this week. We walked through the apple orchard I live by, and the morning grass was dewy. Recently I have been rushing our morning walks because I was waking up late and running late for work. I know that isn’t fair to my dog (or myself) so I’ve been shifting back to lengthy morning walks to start the day on grounded feet. It’s completely worth it.
As we were walking through the grass that stretched for a mile or two, I noticed some purple in the grass. The green grass glowed in a way I hadn’t seen before. The moment prompted me to rub my eyes and blink a few times to sharpen my vision like a cartoon character would do. The colors were so radiant that I wondered if I saw with clarity. Purple popping in the green grass was new to me. At least, I think.
The purple was subtle, but I was pretty sure I could see it. Now, I’m not a pro with colors. I tap into other senses before I tap into sight, but the purple was there, and it was beautiful. I bent down to look closer at the blades of grass to see if I could better understand this color palette. And to my surprise, there were perfect little droplets of water resting on the blades of grass. It was like God took an eye dropper to curate this moment. I was seeing this world down there for the first time, and I was mesmerized.
Were the droplets amplifying the subtle colors of the grass that rest in the greens? Was the water causing the glow?
As I said, I’m not great with colors, but it pays to wonder and take a closer look. The new perspective, crouched down, eye to eye with the grass, blew my mind. I walk through the grass every day, stomping away and never noticing how beautiful it can be. Maybe it was incredibly stunning on this particular day. Or, perhaps the change in season changes the look of the grass. Or maybe I change with the seasons and see the grass differently. Could it be the time of day that caused the purples to pop and the grass to glow? Or, what if, it’s always been there, but I haven’t slowed down enough to notice? Could be.
Maybe one day I will find an answer. But for now, I wonder, get curious, and look at the world from different angles to see what I discover in the grass and anywhere else. I’ll keep this moment in my heart, and maybe one day, I’ll manage to draw a connection from something else to this. It’s very likely. In the meantime, I will appreciate the morning walk with my pup by my side, witnessing something sweet and beautiful.
Perhaps I won’t get down on my knees to observe the blades whenever I find a patch of grass, but why not? Can this serve as a reminder to slow down even more and notice the beauty surrounding me and the power of a simple shift of perspective? If nothing else, this brief experience will remind me of the importance of a walk outside, in nature, to look at the world and all its beauty while allowing it to open me up to wonder and curiosity.
Nature sure does give us space to do this, to get creative and experimental, with mind, body, and soul, and to open our hearts to the simple beauties on Earth.
