"Nature Heals!" by Sadie O

 

There was once a time that I didn’t care for nature, in fact I utterly despised it. When I was a child I often got hurt, whether it was falling on the rough gravel that left me with scars or the irritating stains from wet grass. I never once looked at nature with whimsy, only petty annoyance. During quarantine my family would force me to do these hikes on a hill, I suppose to get some fresh air since we were only ever indoors. However, this only entertained my displeasure with nature as I would often get lightheaded (almost passing out) from these trips and the scenery was, to put it kindly, bland. Once I grew older I stayed indoors more and I was more pleased with a cityscape than a landscape. I often dreamt of living in a busy city, and whenever I visited Los Angeles my eyes would sparkle with the city lights. Until one day, me and my friend were walking, trees clapping their hands and a slight breeze that made everything feel perfect. My friend always saw the beauty in nature, she would often take pictures on her phone to capture a scene and I would wait for her impatiently. “Why don’t you be more whimsical?” She told me. “I don’t really care for nature.” I would say, but there was doubt in my answer. I too saw the beauty of the evergreen before me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve ignored the beauty of nature for so long, not once did I look back on the colored leaves on the ground or the way the rock glistens with sparkling water. It only served as a backdrop to me, like a painted scene of a play. Not once did I admire the details of the world. I’ve always liked the extreme parts of nature, like forest and beaches but I never appreciated the everyday trees and grass I walked by each day. My friends help me pause and admire the small things in life. We would walk out to a field just to look at the evening sky or a gazebo and pick at the white roses or furthermore, go to the park during the night and prance around the dewy grass and trees. No longer do I mind the grass stains nor the scars from the gravel that have faded long ago. Whilst I walk upon the cracked sidewalk I admire the bright vigorous flowers, the cracked leaves that crunch whenever I step on them, the blue mountains that stare at me wherever I go. I can’t shake the feeling of the simple pleasure of nature, like nothing else matters in the world. Nature is something that brings unity, peace and restoration of the soul. If ever I have a bad day or something bothers me, I would now go outside and appreciate the things around me instead of dwelling in my gray room. The light breeze hitting the long grass calms me, the flowers growing on the vines give a faint reminder of growth and life and the sunlight that shines through the leaves gives me a sense of hope, a truly inspiring home we live in. I learned to appreciate everything around me, even if it wasn’t the prettiest, the smallest thing would be beautiful to me. Whether it’ll be a simple meadow to an enchanting forest I see the beauty of it all. One day my father gave me a small red flower, normally I would leave it out by my window and watch it slowly die cruelly but I had a strange ambition to keep it alive. I would water it, talk to it and leave it in the sun in order for it to grow and after some time the once small flower grew into multiple. I never knew nature could be so rewarding, it even gave me a sense of pride and it only furthered my wonder and engrossment of nature. The cityscapes that I once adored seemed to be missing something, although I still find the beauty in the skyscrapers and the shining city lights, it didn’t always capture a certain charm that nature carries. Nature is something that we are always familiar with and once we see the resemblance of the simple evergreen of the Earth, it is comforting to us. I now see the world more differently than I ever have before. Once oblivious to the face of nature and I would pass on by without a care, unaware of the significance and wonders of the Earth I now have opened my eyes to the enchanting beauty of our world.