Looking to Nature
Nature has a way of calming me. When I look at the beauty of the outdoors I am instantly captivated by all of the colors and details that make up the trees, flowers, shrubs, and the glorious sky. Nature inspires me with how to blend textures, hues, and even scale. Honestly my day does not feel complete if I haven’t had the chance to just “be” in creation. As soon as I open a door and step outside everything seems to disappear as I take a deep breath and take in the sights and sounds that are around me. Even if it is only for 5 minutes, I need to feel the air on my skin, soak in what my eyes land on, or take in the music that comes from insects or birds.
Since I love nature so much I always make sure to have plants or flowers in my own home and often encourage others to do the same for their havens. For me, a room is not complete without a living, green thing to greet you. It brings joy to my soul to walk into a room and see a fern perched on a table or a vase of flowers on a beautiful antique.
Like anything in life it can take time and patience to care for a house plant, but in the keeping and supervision of it I have learned lots of life lessons. Simple lessons such as paying attention to them and celebrating the small victories. Do you see a brown spot, or a wilted leaf? Give them some extra love by moving them to get more sunshine or removing the wilted leaf and being intentional to see if they need more water or less. It’s the same for those people in my life I care for. Am I making sure that “I see them” and offer a listening ear or some one on one time to keep our relationship thriving.
Plants offer life, color, and beauty for which I will be forever grateful. If you don’t have any plants in your home, start small. Go buy a little button or rabbit foot fern, find a place in your house where you can tend to it, and don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t do well. Just try again. Cut the tops off so all you see is the soil, keep watering it, and make sure it has some sunshine, then wait. You will be surprised by what you learn and what you see as you are patient.
