This morning I walked about a mile and a half from my home to the bus station where I catch a bus to my job. Although I live in an urban area, the walking path I took goes along a small lake and there are many trees, bushes, and tall grasses along the lake. It is early spring as I write this and I enjoyed seeing ducks and Canadian geese on the lake and many other types of birds flying about. I saw a robin—a sure sign that spring has arrived. And I enjoyed listening to the bird song as I walked along. Another special aspect of my morning excursion was seeing the leaf buds and small leaves appearing on the trees and bushes. It was a cool morning and the breeze was refreshing.
Because of various commitments, I’m not able to spend the time taking this walk every day. But when there is time for it, it is special. The importance and benefits of having a connection with nature are emphasized in wellness books and articles. It’s as if it is an innate part of being human to want that connection, part of our inheritance from the past when most human beings didn’t live in cities and didn’t have sedentary jobs as the majority of us do now.
Each time I have a chance to take that walk or spend time outdoors in other ways, I feel the positive effects. It’s important for all of us to do that for ourselves from time to time.