Temporary Treasure
As the weather transitions at this time of year, I start to droop much like the potted flowers on my doorstep. I hunch over, cross my arms, bundle up as much as I can, curl up into the smallest space possible at every opportunity, and desire more than anything to stay indoors until the next warm, sunny day.
So when Nature blesses us with that once-in-a-while Golden Day, I rejoice. We've had a few recently: fall days when the sun highlights everything with an extra glow and the slightly-more-comfortable-than-usual air hugs us like an old friend when we step outdoors. They're days when we almost donít mind heading to the yard to rake the lawn. Such days enliven me, and it seems many others, for I truly feel an all-around happy vibe as with sudden enthusiasm I go about my usual activities. I think at some level, on these days most of us feel some sense of having received a special gift.
At least for the time being, which is, I think, the most crucial aspect of Golden Days. Itís what makes them so precious. Like so many wonders in our lives, theyíre here and then gone. Today might be golden, but tomorrow might easily be gray. If we miss our opportunity to relish what Nature gives us at the moment of the gift.
Every day, golden or not, take note of the ìtime beingî and really live it. Never just watch from indoors as it passes.
Cast of Characters
By Laura Mills
Why does it feel so good to step outside, even for a moment, on a summer morning? Many answers exist for me. I like the fresh air, the sense of renewal that drifts through my nostrils as well as the screen door and replaces the stale air-conditioned air of previous hours. I also like the sounds. I adore crickets, locusts and birds most of all, but the sounds of cars and planes and neighbors’ activities soothes me, too. And I love how I feel not-quite-so-contained, as if the simple act of opening the door and stepping onto the porch enlarges my space and physically connects me to everything else “out there.”
I know our relationship with nature has been talked and written about countless times. But it’s definitely worth discussing: at the very least, so many of us feel good when we see, hear, smell, or otherwise experience the outdoors. With our indoor worlds so full of stuff (noise-making-, light-blinking-, often-practical-but-sometimes-just-extra-stuff), whenever we reconnect with nature we plug back in to something powerful and real within ourselves. Nature speaks not in words but in feelings, and we don’t need to translate to be able to understand. It just feels good. It reminds us that we are included in a greater universe, and just like all living beings play a part in the big picture.
If we try, we can all be the “Best” at our own particular roles.