The Healing Beauty of Nature

Do you love the fall as much as I do? Are you a hiker that go up in the mountains on the weekends to get away from it all for a few hours? Or perhaps you live near the ocean or a National Park?

I'm lucky to live near the coast, and the mountains are within a short drive away. I can pick where to go without having to travel for hours. I know I'm lucky because many people are stuck in inner cities without seeing the beauty that surrounds us right now.

When I've had a busy week, I crave the mountains and the forests. Somewhere out there, I find my peace and equilibrium. I love the sound of the ocean and the sand between my toes. Nature restores my wounded soul, and I return home feeling refreshed.

Where do you go to recharge your batteries after a long week of deadlines and daily stress?

I'm a busy mom, working full time as an elementary teacher and juggling the final part of my MFA in creative writing. It's not easy to write a college thesis while juggling everything else, but most writers have no choice but to work while creating. It's just reality and need for a steady pay check.

I choose to go outdoors to recharge and reenergize myself for the week ahead. My kids get restless if we don't go outdoors. They crave the freedom of wide open spaces to run around and play in the trees. All that excess energy has to go somewhere.

Right now, our world is changing into a plethora of color. Every tree, bush and plant begin to serenade us with nuances of green, red, orange and yellow hues before they turn and fall. Only the steadfast Loblolly pines stand tall like sentinels watching our world burst into color.

I'm teaching my kids to value, and to take care of our world. You don't have to go far before you see trash littering the streets and in our parks. Overflowing trash cans before they can be emptied due to pay cuts and delays. Our oceans are full of plastic that contaminate and cause animals to suffer.

I taught my first graders about climate change this week. I showed them how we can look after our world just by introducing simple changes into our daily lives like turning the lights off when we leave a room, or re-use plastic bottles. If everyone in our world started to reduce the amount of trash we throw away, our environments would be better.

Our world is broken and humans are to blame. How much longer will we be able to enjoy the beauty of nature?

I love the fall, and I teach my kids to take care of our world. My family is involved in Scouting, and I take my kids outdoors to explore now at its epitome of color beauty. The final crescendo before winter begins to undress the foliage and begin a long rest before it all starts again in spring.

I treasure the weekends when I can be with my family. It's a time to relax and not think about work pressures and deadlines. A time to enjoy being me and with the people I love.

How will you be spending this weekend?

My name is Lizzy. I’m a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

If you like reading my posts, then please follow me.

For more about me: www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com

Support your fellow writer:

https://ko-fi.com/elizabe69245484

Here are a few links to my top articles:

How To Explain Complex PTSD To Loved Ones

https://medium.com/illumination/how-to-explain-complex-ptsd-to-loved-ones-769f81d437ab

A Search for Identity

https://medium.com/beyond-lines/a-search-for-identity-893df7c970c2

Dealing With Flashbacks

https://medium.com/illumination/dealing-with-flashbacks-1b8c0d94c19d

The Knock on the Door that Changed My World

https://medium.com/illumination/the-knock-on-the-door-that-changed-my-world-ff126c8c07cf