Lessons Of Nature

tanjabrittonwriter 57 Comments

The morning hours of May 1 have been among the best so far this month. I passed them at a favorite local park, al fresco, with avian and other critters, away from humans. Birds do not make rude remarks, cut or flip me off in traffic. Squirrels do not show me the cold shoulder because I don’t share their religious or political convictions. Prairie dogs do not snub me on account of my eye, hair, or skin color, inadequate attire, awkward accent.

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My need to be outdoors is inversely proportional to my level of frustration with (wo)mankind. Whenever it reaches a high (or low) point, as happens increasingly frequently, nothing helps restore my equilibrium, or at least inch me toward that elusive state, as simply being present in nature: seeing the sun rise, hearing the birds greet the new day with crystal-clear voices, watching the flowers open their faces to the light (or close them, as is the case with the dazzling night-blooming evening primrose whose petals curl and turn pink in the morning).

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Monumental mountains grounded since times immemorial, trees rooted deeply in the earth, banks of condensing and dissipating clouds, the sun’s arc across the sky. They recall to me the big picture, put things in perspective. They help ground me, remind me that nature is cyclical, human nature included. That my own existence is ephemeral, that my real or perceived grievances are insignificant. We are here one moment, gone the next.

All I can do is savor the NOW, let go of matters vexatious, appreciate all that is good and beautiful: the cycles of the cosmos, the loveliness of the land, the verdant veil that finally adorns arbors after a long winter, the bright blossoms that beckon bees and butterflies, the birds that never fail to gladden the heart.

57 thoughts on “Lessons Of Nature”

  4. Oh Tanja, there will be no shortage of adoring comments here. Many of us use Nature as a reset, a way to keep sanity in check; what (civilized?) humanity undoes with a word snipe, Nature puts easily back in place again. Beautiful words for delightful photos. Al fresco is apparently the way to go!! Cheers!

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  6. Nature is always ready to teach us lessons …. and some people are ready to appreciate them and to learn from her, some people are not.
    Thank you for this wonderful post and the accompanying pictures, and I am glad to be part of your community, where there are so many like-minded people.
    Kindest regards from Canada,
    Christa

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    • Thank you for your support, Neil, and for the book recommendation. I just looked up the summary and think I will love it. The only problem I foresee is that it will make me want to spend time at the ocean! 😊

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  12. Liebe Tanja, ich kann gut verstehen, was du meinst. Und ja, die Natur bringt auch mich am besten wieder runter, zurück zu mir. In der Natur ist stets alles richtig. Es gibt kein falsch. Fällt ein Baum – wird er zersetzt und ernährt andere. Gibt es keine Nahrung, wächst nur noch ein Kraut. Wird etwas überschwemmt, kommen andere Lebewesen. Nur wir Menschen wollen immer etwas anderes., möchten gerne, daß alles so läuft, wie WIR es gerade wollen. Aber so läufts in der Regel nicht. Loslassen ist vermutlich das Zauberwort. Alles hat seinen Platz. Nichts ist falsch. Alles ist, wie es ist. Die Natur zeigt es uns 🙂 Vielen Dank für deine schönen Bilder, die mir ein Lächeln aufs Gesicht zaubern! Das entspannt!! Liebe Grüße, Almuth

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  14. Tanja – I was delighted to hear that when you need an adjustment that you go to nature. I love to go outdoors and be in nature. Nothing makes me feel better than getting outside and seeing animals or out on the trail and being in wilderness. Your photos are as beautiful as ever. I loved this post. -Jill

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  15. Du hast die Kraft und den Einfluss der Natur so wunderbar einfühlsam beschrieben und gezeigt. Es ist mir manchmal echt ein Rätsel, dass einige Menschen überhaupt keinen Zugang zu ihr haben. LG Simone

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    • Danke, liebe Simone. Da ich mir ein Leben ohne Verbindung zur Natur nicht mehr denken kann, ist es auch für mich nur schwer nachvollziehbar, wenn manche Menschen so gar kein Interesse haben. Aber um ehrlich zu sein, war mir das (leider) nicht immer so wichtig. Aber besser spät als nie!

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  17. So wahr, Tanja.
    Erst heute Morgen bekam ich mal wieder eine Lektion in Punkto menschlicher Rücksichtslosigkeit, als ich Nachbarn bat, ihren Kater doch während der kurzen Zeit, in der unsere Gartenvögel flügge werden, tagsüber in der Wohnung zu lassen.
    “Wieso, ist doch nicht so schlimm, die paar Vögel!!!” war die Antwort.
    Du hast einen wunderbaren Beitrag geschrieben und bebildert.
    Ich liebe deine Worte und die fabelhaften Aufnahmen.
    Lieben Dank dafür und liebe Grüße über den großen Teich,
    Brigitte

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    • Frau könnte wahrlich an der Menschheit verzweifeln, und oft bin ich nahe dran. Doch dann mache ich immer wieder eine gute zwischenmenschliche Erfahrung, und gebe die Hoffnung nicht ganz auf. Der Umgang mit anderen Bloggern gehört übrigens auch dazu. 😊
      Ich danke Dir herzlich für Deine netten Worte, und wünsche allen Bees ein erfreuliches Wochenende.
      Herzlichst,
      Tanja

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  19. Your first paragraph reminded me of this passage by Walt Whitman:

    I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d;
    I stand and look at them long and long.
    They do not sweat and whine about their condition;
    They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
    They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
    Not one is dissatisfied—not one is demented with the mania of owning things;
    Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago;
    Not one is respectable or industrious over the whole earth.

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  22. Tanja! Me again. I’ve already expressed appreciation for this wonderful post but I wondered if you would allow me to repost this in its entirety on my blog as part of the ‘Where and What is Beauty?’ Series, and as usual I would fully credit you and link back to your blog. Would you please let me know if this would be ok with you?

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