Like many here, trees are one of nature´s expressions of supporting a grateful perspective on life. Without them, I guess, the life giving circle of sun´s rays and their green leaves transforming unhealthy outbreath back to life giving oxygen to me seems to be one of the most fundamental of nature´s aspects of life itself, supporting life with all their being. Without them, there would be no life possible on our most beautiful Mother Earth. I am deeply grateful for them and for all expressions of life in our most beautiful natural world.
I could be a turtle coming out of the cool water
or a snake . . .
or a lizard,
I could be a tern or a gull,
resting my body and warming my feet on stone,
heated by the sun during the day.
Stone has been here since eternity . . .
strong and firm . . .
wiser than us all,
patient to a fault
and enduring the hardships of wind and rain through the ages,
through the eons,
eras, epochs . . .
what is a day to stone?
Stone gazes shamelessly at the stars all night,
is cooled by rain and warmed by the sun.
To me,
stone is an anchor to the heart of the earth,
perhaps the the very bedrock of my soul.
I loved that you choose stone – made me think of my dad’s kitchen (he is in Clearwater Beach, FL) – my brother had brought down stone with mica in it from Pa – so beautiful. I love my dad’s kitchen with that beautiful stone.
I love pine trees.
Toward the end of an evening walk, just as it’s starting to get dark,
I love to see a stand of tall pine trees.
Strikingly beautiful in silhouette.
Towering above with their long chiseled trunks, they have an aura of peacefulness around them.
In groups they feel protective and they do protect each other from high winds.
I love their pine cones and beds of spent needles in my yard.
They look especially beautiful with scattered wispy clouds behind them as back drop.
They help me to feel peaceful and grateful for nature and for my life.
Because of the summer heat, I start my day early with a walk before sweating time sets in. The birds are just chirpy away, greeting the day, and I love hearing their different bird songs. I have a bird feeder and bird bath visible from my living room window and the sparrows and cardinals eat there every morning and evening. Sometimes there are four or five sparrows on the feeder at one time and the bird bath is always busy in the morning and evening. They romp and play in the water as well as drink their fill. I love watching them. They are my teachers.
One thing would be natures tenacity and ability to recover. Watching the forest recover after a fire is quite amazing. Yes, there is death and destruction.
But there is also rebirth. Exuberant and hopeful rebuilding.
Birds. I am so grateful for how they come even into town and city areas and grace us with their movements, colors, and songs. Even people who do not have the means to get out into the wilderness can still have access to enjoying birds.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before,
dear Elizabeth,
but I get it . . .
my mother had a friend
who put a bird feeder outside her assisted living apartment window.
There was an avocado tree and a lime tree that were about to die because they hadn’t had water for months. After my mom started taking loving care of them, the trees began to grow again, and now both are producing an abundance of fruit. I’m so happy to see them. This brings me joy and hope in my life. I’m grateful for the natural life of all living things.
My Ngoc, as I commented to Charlie’s response, nature and resiliency go together. It’s just like with us healing from a good night sleep. Nothing can replace that.
Many things, and the question asks for one. I’m torn between the sun, the sky and seeds, and I’m going with birds. Their chirps and songs always draw my attention and give me a pause from whatever i’ve been thinking of. Yesterday I drove a van full of colleagues across Washington State to a week-long conference. Along the way my heart lifted when I saw a big hawk tilting and soaring over the highway I drove on, probably catching a thermal lift from the hot pavement. The other day when I was working in my garden, a hummingbird hovered over the tomato plants and stared at me. Birds bring me sounds and sights and a sense of wonder, always with a pause to pay attention and appreciate.
I feel at peace when I walk in the mornings. The farmland in Indiana is beautiful. My mind is able to process and think about all the good in my life. I like to problem solve and reflect on anything. When I look around I am able to see God in nature. I am able to speak listen to God.
The mountains. I am puny, short-lived, soft, and young compared to them. It’s unwise to hike or ski up one without provisions or preparation. Their raw beauty compels respect and humility.
Trees are one of my favorite natural things. For some reason I am very attracted to knotty ones. They speak to me of the messiness of life. In some of those trees there is new growth. Awwwweee a perspective!
Oh, there’s so much to choose from! But this morning, I’ll choose the sun. I love the light it offers, how it brightens the world, bounces off of moisture in the air to show us rainbows, peeks around clouds with beautiful rays of light, nourishes the earth, nourishes our bodies. The sun offers warmth, sometimes pretty hot depending on the time of year, but it’s just doing what it does. It lights up our universe and our lives. I love it!
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Like many here, trees are one of nature´s expressions of supporting a grateful perspective on life. Without them, I guess, the life giving circle of sun´s rays and their green leaves transforming unhealthy outbreath back to life giving oxygen to me seems to be one of the most fundamental of nature´s aspects of life itself, supporting life with all their being. Without them, there would be no life possible on our most beautiful Mother Earth. I am deeply grateful for them and for all expressions of life in our most beautiful natural world.
I could be a turtle coming out of the cool water
or a snake . . .
or a lizard,
I could be a tern or a gull,
resting my body and warming my feet on stone,
heated by the sun during the day.
Stone has been here since eternity . . .
strong and firm . . .
wiser than us all,
patient to a fault
and enduring the hardships of wind and rain through the ages,
through the eons,
eras, epochs . . .
what is a day to stone?
Stone gazes shamelessly at the stars all night,
is cooled by rain and warmed by the sun.
To me,
stone is an anchor to the heart of the earth,
perhaps the the very bedrock of my soul.
This is what emerges for me today.
I loved that you choose stone – made me think of my dad’s kitchen (he is in Clearwater Beach, FL) – my brother had brought down stone with mica in it from Pa – so beautiful. I love my dad’s kitchen with that beautiful stone.
I’m happy,
dear Michele,
that I could inspire a happy memory for you . . . 🙂
Stone contains elements that make up our own bodies . . .
“‘The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.’
~ Carl Sagan
I love pine trees.
Toward the end of an evening walk, just as it’s starting to get dark,
I love to see a stand of tall pine trees.
Strikingly beautiful in silhouette.
Towering above with their long chiseled trunks, they have an aura of peacefulness around them.
In groups they feel protective and they do protect each other from high winds.
I love their pine cones and beds of spent needles in my yard.
They look especially beautiful with scattered wispy clouds behind them as back drop.
They help me to feel peaceful and grateful for nature and for my life.
The sound of a fall wind whispering through them, is a sound I trust. Thank you Mary.
Because of the summer heat, I start my day early with a walk before sweating time sets in. The birds are just chirpy away, greeting the day, and I love hearing their different bird songs. I have a bird feeder and bird bath visible from my living room window and the sparrows and cardinals eat there every morning and evening. Sometimes there are four or five sparrows on the feeder at one time and the bird bath is always busy in the morning and evening. They romp and play in the water as well as drink their fill. I love watching them. They are my teachers.
Ah,
dear Carol . . .
I think you’ve taken me
on your morning walk. ♥
Carol Ann, that’s a great idea. The sun rises earlier. It’s also cooler in the morning. Cooler feels more comfortable for me.
One thing would be natures tenacity and ability to recover. Watching the forest recover after a fire is quite amazing. Yes, there is death and destruction.
But there is also rebirth. Exuberant and hopeful rebuilding.
Charlie, their resilience is amazing.
Birds. I am so grateful for how they come even into town and city areas and grace us with their movements, colors, and songs. Even people who do not have the means to get out into the wilderness can still have access to enjoying birds.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before,
dear Elizabeth,
but I get it . . .
my mother had a friend
who put a bird feeder outside her assisted living apartment window.
Lovely observation, Elizabeth. Birds show up in the most unexpected places.
There was an avocado tree and a lime tree that were about to die because they hadn’t had water for months. After my mom started taking loving care of them, the trees began to grow again, and now both are producing an abundance of fruit. I’m so happy to see them. This brings me joy and hope in my life. I’m grateful for the natural life of all living things.
Wonderful Ngoc!
What beautiful trees and delicious flavors. Good for your mom for bringing them back to life.
My Ngoc, as I commented to Charlie’s response, nature and resiliency go together. It’s just like with us healing from a good night sleep. Nothing can replace that.
I agree, Loc. Sleep helps so much!
Many things, and the question asks for one. I’m torn between the sun, the sky and seeds, and I’m going with birds. Their chirps and songs always draw my attention and give me a pause from whatever i’ve been thinking of. Yesterday I drove a van full of colleagues across Washington State to a week-long conference. Along the way my heart lifted when I saw a big hawk tilting and soaring over the highway I drove on, probably catching a thermal lift from the hot pavement. The other day when I was working in my garden, a hummingbird hovered over the tomato plants and stared at me. Birds bring me sounds and sights and a sense of wonder, always with a pause to pay attention and appreciate.
The winged beings always seem to put on a show to my eyes. Although they are just living their life. Thank you Carol.
I feel at peace when I walk in the mornings. The farmland in Indiana is beautiful. My mind is able to process and think about all the good in my life. I like to problem solve and reflect on anything. When I look around I am able to see God in nature. I am able to speak listen to God.
I well remember the cornfields in Illinois . . .
thank you,
dear David,
for reminding me. ♥
There’s a lake right in front of my house that brings a peaceful vibe, especially when looking through the big window in the living room.
The mountains. I am puny, short-lived, soft, and young compared to them. It’s unwise to hike or ski up one without provisions or preparation. Their raw beauty compels respect and humility.
Trees are one of my favorite natural things. For some reason I am very attracted to knotty ones. They speak to me of the messiness of life. In some of those trees there is new growth. Awwwweee a perspective!
I love the knotty, gnarled ones too Yram. They’re really beautiful in their way.
So many- the sunrise and the ocean are my go to- I guess the ultimate is the rare sunrise over the ocean.
Oh, there’s so much to choose from! But this morning, I’ll choose the sun. I love the light it offers, how it brightens the world, bounces off of moisture in the air to show us rainbows, peeks around clouds with beautiful rays of light, nourishes the earth, nourishes our bodies. The sun offers warmth, sometimes pretty hot depending on the time of year, but it’s just doing what it does. It lights up our universe and our lives. I love it!
The weather – it is constantly changing and can be very destructive. I am grateful for our newscasters and technology that we do have.
Michele, the weather can get really wild in Minnesota with the 4 seasons.