Being a university student, I often get caught up in the fast pace of city life, running to and from classes, balancing time with family and friends, and fitting in enough time to study. Through this all, it is easy to forget my surroundings and ignore the tranquility and reprieve from a hectic schedule that nature has to offer. Therefore, on my walk home from classes one afternoon, I decided to ignore the thoughts in my mind and concentrate only on what I saw, felt, heard, tasted, and touched around me. Since this was a cool fall day, it did not take long to feel the crispness of the air, and know that winter is fast approaching. Because of recent rain, there was moisture in the air, increasing the coolness of my surroundings. As I moved from the campus to a residential area, I could hear dogs barking, squirrels chirping, and birds calling out as they began to stage in preparation for their long journey south. I recognized this changing of the seasons, and what it would mean for the trees and the animals. It was a time to shut down, or move on, depending on their ability to withstand the winter.
As I continued along, there was the smell of wet pavement mingled with decaying leaves and the aroma of freshly cut grass. Ripening apples that had fallen to the cement and been crushed added their own aroma to the mix. The leaves were rustling overhead, and the rocks crunching under my shoes. Small critters would cross my path only to dart for cover in the nearest bush. There were so many activities going on around me, and I had often forgotten to notice, or even care, about their significance. That single leaf, if examined very closely, would reveal a process that makes living on Earth possible. It involves the conversion of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates through the harnessing of solar energy. This energy, then stored in the plant tissue, could then be utilized by other organisms to go about their daily activities. That little squirrel with the peanut was just one example of an organism using what nature provided. As I moved through the gate, I saw what remained of the garden. I recognized that the soil had provided a foundation for the plants grown. That soil was then re-nourished through the addition of compost materials so that it could be just as productive the following year. Each tree that I had passed offered up similar services....it created the oxygen from water through the process of photosynthesis, it took in nutrients and moisture from the soil, growing big and tall. On warm summer days it would offer shade, and in the winter it would stand stark and barren against the crisp blue sky.
Though it saddened me for a time to think of the end of summer and how everything would turn to burnt orange and yellow, I was once again gladdened to realize that winter would provide its own picturesque moments. The snow will fall, and the ice will form, but through it all, nature will keep its services going to provide what is essential for all living forms. Summer will come again, as will winter, and spring, and fall. Each season has its own beauty, and we must recognize nature as that artist.
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~Kahlil Gibran
