Nature is the Best Soother of All

For some, these are stressful times. Beyond everything happening in the world, there are the challenges of daily life — bills to pay, children’s needs, traffic, and work difficulties. Many ads promote ways to calm down, including a kaleidoscope of green lights, meditations, and soothing sounds. Looking out my window, I see that nature has already provided everything we need — for free.

The breeze whispers as it brushes through the leaves, like a mother soothing her infant with gentle, hushing sounds. The swaying palms mesmerize, moving gracefully back and forth like hula dancers in Hawaii, and the outstretched limbs of other trees provide us with respite from the sun. The shadows on the trunks of the trees constantly shift with the sun’s movements, creating a kaleidoscope of shades of gray.

The smell of fresh air renews my lungs and fills my mind with new hope. The scent of freshly cut grass or a rose is a calming inhalant, bar none. The blue sky pulls me into my imagination, soaring beyond the clouds. The still water grounds me safely ashore, allowing me to dive deep into self-reflection.

Colorful flowers fill me with gratitude, even though I cannot pinpoint why, except for a fascination with their glorious beauty. The bountiful orchids on our patio heave with blooms and keep returning in due time, filling me with wonder at eternal abundance.

Water, hot or cold, has its own orchestra. Gushing waterfalls, bubbling creeks, steaming hot springs, waves ashore, and cracking ice — all have therapeutic qualities. Raindrops wash away the day’s tension, and the wind drives me back to the couch with a good book or a freshly brewed cup of coffee, making the cloudy skies and changed plans seem perfectly all right.

The song of the nightingale always makes my heart swell. Her hungry little chicks chirping for their meal in spring reminds me that if Mother Nature can endure, so can I.

The starry night and the wonder of the universe distract me from my trivial problems, no matter how serious they seem. The stars died long ago, yet they still twinkle in the sky. If you don’t believe me, look at Picasso’s Starry Night and share that moment with him.

These are things that restore me to sanity when my mind goes awry. They take me away from my trivial, fearful thoughts and return me to that still, quiet inner sanctum where love abides. I drift away from the world’s cares, which I can’t seem to remember anyhow. I don’t have a clue what happened last Tuesday at 3:35 p.m. or the day after at 9:12 a.m., even if it was urgent at the time. Time itself is the greatest love of all. Unlike water, time keeps moving forward and lets me move past what ailed me into the sunlight, the breeze, and the stars. Mindful that time is elusive and always slipping away, the sun’s and moon’s shadows remind me that everything is precisely as it should be and all is well.

JOIN OUR MOVEMENT TO SAVE MILLIONS OF LIVES FROM ADDICTION.