When things are tough, I can always count on the beauty of nature to see me through. I’m relying on it now, since, as with almost everyone else, I am feeling some anxiety and stress. It’s related, of course, to the uncertainty resulting from this lock down. I seem to be in a strange emotional cycle, relieved that the virus has been contained (here, at least), shocked at the financial impact, puzzled at how a re-opening will take place, and concerned about a possible resurgence, when it does.
There are no easy answers, and at any rate, the answers won’t be up to me. I am, along with almost everyone else, in limbo, with a surprising lack of control. Someone else will be making the decisions; I can’t do anything but hope their decisions will be wise.
But it’s not really true, when I say I can’t do anything—there’s lots to do, and I do all of them—all the mundane chores I need to do to keep our daily lives intact. When I’m done, I contact others to make sure they are okay, and safe. Then I wait. I waste time. I check into the news, much of which I don’t really want to hear. I go for a walk; I work out in my front room. I make dinner. Not very exciting, but like I said, it’s limbo—what can I expect?
There is something else, too. It’s there, all around us, to heal us, to see us through. It’s Nature, with all its healing properties. So go outside, breathe the air, see the beauty, experience the grace. You’ll feel better, It’s a given.
- Nature itself is the best physician, Hippocrates
- Nature can bring you stillness, that is its gift to you Eckhart Tolle
- And into the forest I go, to lose my mind, and find my soul, John Muir
- Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better, Albert Einstein
- All of our wisdom is stored into trees., Santosh Kalwar
- Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, and climb a mountain, or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. John Muir
The photo of the old apple tree, with its beautiful blossoms, was taken by my daughter Chrissy, in her backyard garden.
such beautiful quotes this morning Diane! thank you.
do you know what I have loved during all this lock-down time?
the quietude.
to hear the birds singing! to hear fountains! and children’s laughter!
that’s the part of it that is wonderful in all this.
the overloud blaring music that was always in one’s face everywhere…
it has been gone for weeks now and it is so wonderful!
every single restaurant had not just loud but literally BLARING music!
even broadcast in parks so that you had to hear it while walking… nature? what nature?
nature didn’t stand a chance.
and from store fronts… and grocery stores…. it was as if the whole world couldn’t hear itself think!
a friendly conversation across a dinner table in a café was impossible.
and everybody was yelling if they did talk! talking louder and louder just to get over the music!
but mostly people just listened to the loud music and looked down constantly at their phones and ipads.
we had lost the ability to truly communicate. I’m hoping we don’t go back to that!
nobody has mentioned it. but I wish somebody would. maybe we could just turn it all down a notch!
do you think we can?
I completely agree, tammy j. I’ve savored the quietness and solitude too. Although what has brought us to this is sad, it does give us a chance to experience what we have lost. Life has become so frantic, especially in the cities. It has all been in the guise of progress, and now, we are taking a breath and re-evaluating how we’ve evolved. It’s a time for reflection, for sure.
Bravo, Diane. My life would be so diminished if I couldn’t take my daily walks on beautiful trails and beautiful streets west of Boston.
It keeps me going, as well. Quiet walks are part of our new reality. As an introvert, I value them!
Well Diane, reading this was a reminder that we are all pretty much experiencing the same emotions/concerns/limbo life around the globe. And though I’ve long been a believer that we never really know what’s ahead, still it’s been a shock to have that truth laid so bare. My (almost) daily walks have been a comfort–as you say, nature is healing. And to your wonderful list of quotes, I can only add one from Thomas Jefferson’s Ten Rules: “Take things always by the smooth handle.” Stay well.
Thanks for that slice of wisdom, Amy! Your comment about ‘the truth laid so bare’, explains our new reality perfectly!
Very true. I feel much calmer when I am out walking among the trees, birds, and beginnings of flowers.
Thanks, Rin. Keep taking care of yourself—walking among nature is one of the best things you can do.
And the silver lining to the cloud of Coronavirus is that it has brought pollution levels way down, and given Mother Nature a much-needed break.
I think it was a surprise. The current thinking around the pollution question suggested that the planet would take years to recover. But here we are, blue skies and clear water, for the first time in decades. It happened so fast! Thanks, Tom.
Thank you for writing this post. I agree with you re the peace nature can bring us. One of my favourite poems is by Wendell Berry called “The Peace of Wild Things.” Stay safe.
I’ll look it up, Pat. Thanks for your thoughts. Do stay safe as well.
Nature, time and patience are the three great physicians.
—-Chinese proverb
I like it, Jean. Thanks!
So much has changed for all of us during the isolation while we wait for ‘stay at home’ requirements to lift. On my daily walks in the conservation area behind our house, I watch the subtle changes brought by spring. I’m reminded that some things don’t change — birdsongs during mating season, buds on trees, sounds of water streaming into the river. Nature can calm us as we soldier on during the pandemic. Thanks for your thoughtful post.
–Jeanette
It’s amazing how nature carries on in spite of our non-involvement. It’s a lesson for us, I think.
An insightful post, Diane. I hope that the legacy of this horrible time is that we appreciate better the things that really matter.
Good thought, Clive. We are all looking for meaning in this.It’s human to try to make sense of it.But I admit that it’s very hard to understand what we have to learn from this, if anything.
I hope we do, as a mark of respect to all those whose lives have been taken.
It;s important that we do that, Clive. Thanks.
“Go outside, breathe the air, see the beauty, experience the grace.” These are very wise words indeed.
And I agree with you 100%, After doing so, I do feel much better.
Hope that you are well.
Donna
As you know, Donna, this disease has only touched our island, yet we are experiencing the full effects. At first, I thought there would be a silver lining, but now I’m doubting that. Thanks for your lovely comment.
While mother nature brutally reminds us that she alone controls our planet, she welcomes us warmly and gently with open arms.
It’s true that Nature is at the controls, but I’m not clear about her message. Stay healthy, Maggie.
One of things I crave is “my freedom”
– freedom to catch a bus/train to the beach, park or open space – whereas my daily walks are on hard pavements, surrounded usually by high fences and houses – except where I come across one of our many building sites, fenced off because of lockdown.
– my small backyard, which is devoid of anything nice/cosy (grass, concrete, rotary clothesline, shed, garbage bins]…is surrounded by houses – because I’m kind of on an island, down a long driveway – so the street is out there but at the end of the driveway.
– the sounds of the houses, relate not to children but to banging and crashing, someone fixing a car, the young man who I can’t see but I think shouting at his computer, the man at the front teaching people music which jars after a while, someone hammering down in the valley. Okay that’s a noise or two…but it doesn’t sound like nature. Yes a few birds, but that’s regular daily sounds I have (when people dash off to work…)
– on my walks I do see people, but not “loners” like me, they are walking in their home group/bubble AND I feel sad, I have no one to share a walk with…I do often stop and talk the “s/distance apart” but it’s not the same, they aren’t coming down my driveway with me to maybe spend the evening talking about things, sharing my table and all that guff.
– even when I look here on this gadget, people are usually more than one (okay tammy isn’t but) she and I seem to rarities now.
I want to have “freedom” but if that also means I need to stay well, until it’s available then I will keep a list of what I first need to do – AFTER haircut!
Good point about the haircut, Cedar! I really regret that you are unable to find a safe and beautiful place to walk, and I know things were better before all this happened. We all hoped it would be short-lived when it began, but it seems to be going on much too long. Take good care of yourself, stay safe.
I, too, gain pleasure and comfort from nature as I do listening to music. Sounds like you’re coping well with all the uncertainty.
I’m coping fairly well, Joared. I have good health so far, but admit that I’m not exercising as much as I should. It’s not lack of time—that’s for sure! I’ve lost some motivation, though.
Due to health issues, I have been a stay at home for almost three years now with the exception of completely unavoidable outings. Being locked in is therefore no big deal except that I miss my daily dose of newspapers and crossword puzzles. What has really changed for me is the total silence and therefore my ability to hear the birds, insects and cicadas in my garden and the visual delight of seeing butterflies, dragonflies and the clean smell of open air. There is no traffic on the roads and no airplanes flying overhead and the sky is so blue that I can watch it for long periods of time. In the nights I can see stars from my garden which was not possible six weeks ago.
Others however are fretting and beginning to lose patience but, I calm them down and as the expected date for the easing of restrictions comes closer, there is hope and cheer too.
Your comment brightened my morning, Rummuser! As always, you have an enlightened perspective on things. It’s wonderful that you share your calm approach with others, who may need more support. I’ve noticed that this situation has been especially hard on children (no school, no friends) and older adults, who suffer from loneliness. But yes, there is hope and cheer as we come closer to ending this.
The quietness is welcomed although we do miss being able to hug our children. We take at least one or two walks a day and enjoy the colors of the flowering trees, bushes, and gardens. It is a shame it took a pandemic for us to, how shallI I put this, get back to nature. Hopefully all of us will have learned something from this pandemic and will be kinder to others and be more considerate of Mother Earth when things get better. And we have to keep the hope alive that things will get better. One day at a time, one day at a time. Stay safe and stay well.
Natures sights, sounds and silences always give me comfort.
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