July is Time to 'Enjoy Nature'

July is a time to 'Enjoy Nature'. Really every day should be a day to enjoy nature, but I chose this theme for this month because July seems to be the month that everything seems alive and thriving in nature. I find myself spending more time outside this month than any other month of the year because being outside is my happy place.

What is it about being outdoors that I love the most? TIME SLOWS DOWN!

Or at least it seems to. I can sit in the sun and listen to the wind blow through the trees, birds chirping, and smell the plants around me. Taking time to be present in those moments, for even 5 minutes, can feel like 10 or 15 minutes. Have you ever experienced that? Sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in, or watching the sunset over a hillside?

Nature takes its time in almost every way that it can. Nothing seems rushed; the growth of plants takes time, the creation of rocks, mountains and even sand takes more than our lifetime to become what they are. When you are in the presence of those natural occurrences you feel their pace within yourself.

A few days ago we took our kids to a park for lunch and as we sat and ate in the grass we watched a bird fly into a nest in a tree and listened to the water running in a nearby creek. It seemed like we were there for much longer than we actually were. I feel the time slow down when I'm hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, camping, sitting at the beach; any activity that takes me outside.

It sometimes feels like magic. I think some of the magic of nature comes from the fact that we as humans cannot seem to duplicate its phenomenon in quite the same way that Mother Nature can.

I also love how being in nature allows nearly all of my senses to be engaged in positive ways. The smells of a morning dew, the feel of the grass beneath my feet, listening to the birds chatter in the morning, the taste of fresh fruit or vegetables from a garden, and seeing how the sunlight changes the colors of leaves as it shines its rays through the trees. Experiencing all of these things simultaneously as they unfold is such a gift!

So although July can be hot, I encourage you to take time to 'Enjoy Nature' this month. Take five minutes and sit outside and pay attention to all the ways your senses are engaging with nature at that moment. Notice the surprises in the small things, even something as simple as the flight of a bee. Appreciate the veins flowing through a leaf. And listen to the hum of the insects in the air.

If you feel inclined, create something from what inspires you most in those five minutes, not to present to the world but just for yourself to remember the moment in time. 

It is a 'Gift' to 'Enjoy Nature'.