We have been going on a walk around our neighborhood every weekday morning since the boys got out of school… so today will be our 15th walk I think.
It’s been good for us to get outside and get some fresh air first thing in the morning. I have been noticing that it is also helping us to practice noticing the details. Since our neighborhood isn’t exactly in the middle of full on nature (like walking through the woods or being in the mountains), we have to be more observant to notice new things (or notice the same things in more detail and delight) each morning.
For example, yesterday we took time to really notice the dew on the grass, and a couple of bees (one a huge bumblebee) getting pollen from flowers, and a spider “web” (mostly just some straight lines) that was glistening in the sunlight.
This morning, we took some extra time to really look at some different flowers and notice the beauty, details, and differences. We also saw another bumblebee.
I like that we are training our eyes and hearts to notice the details and see nature… even amidst our concrete neighborhood.
I guess sometimes its hard for me to feel like our neighborhood has any “nature” within it because even all of the flowers/trees/plants have been planted in those exact spots by humans. But, I guess the plants/trees/flowers have still been created by God and I can take the time to appreciate the details of His creations, even if they weren’t placed in their exact location by Him alone (like out in untouched (by human), natural nature).
We have also been eating our lunch outside (on the front steps / driveway) every day as well. It’s been good to get outside in the middle of the day for a little bit.
I calculated that between our morning walks 5 times a week, eating lunch outside 5 times a week, and then going camping every weekend, we have been spending about 24 hours outside each week for the past few weeks. I’m really happy with that. One of my goals has been for us to spend more time outside… especially during the summer. Being outside is good for our souls.
