Nature Walks in Winter

As I feared, I ended up with the same illness I watched my children suffer with.

After a week of tending to their fevers, chills and aches, I fell ill with what my mother calls

the Grip.

To the rest of the world, this illness is commonly known as the flu.

Whatever you call it, it's pure misery.

Near the end of my week of agony, once my fever broke but I was still weak and sore, I fumbled through my drawer of old magazines for something to read as I rested.

I have a collection of old Victoria magazines from the 1990s that are sometimes fun to look through when I'm in a season of rest.

These magazines have been with me since my childhood, but just when I think I've examined every photograph and read every line, something new pops out at me that I've not seen before.

I sat down at my kitchen table with a sandwich I made for myself, tuna on buttered toast, and began reading...

The table was drenched in a warm sunbeam, and I could hear birds chirping out the window.

I wish I felt better, I thought. It seems nice outside...

And that's when I saw it.

The medicine I didn't know I needed...

Written by Diane Ackerman for a 1997 issue of Victoria, I read:

"We may feel cozy and safe in our homes, protected from both blast and predator, but we pay the price with slack muscles, weak hearts, and glum spirits."

My attention was piqued. I had been feeling weak and glum...

"Deprived of fresh daylight, we sink low during the winter months. And yet when we search for remedies to those distresses, only the artificial springs to mind: gyms, pills, light boxes. By retreating farther and farther from nature, we lose our sense of belonging, suffer a terrible loneliness we can't name, and end up depriving ourselves of what we need to feel healthy and whole."

A family nature walk was in order.

It had been days since I was outside.

Walking in the winter can seem like a hassle. Everyone needs boots, mittens, and hats. And have you noticed how walking on snow takes more effort than walking on grass or pavement? Boots feel heavy on the feet as they are being lifted out of the crunchy snow, step after step.

But I always find it to be worth it once we are out and breathing in the frigid air.

It lifts the mood.

(For years I avoided going outside in the winter because I was afraid I'd get cold. But Micah taught me that there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. Invest in a warm jacket and waterproof boots, and you'll find, as I have, that being out in the cold is quite enjoyable if you're dressed for it.)

If you've followed my blog for a while you will know our family has a favorite spot on our trails.

This is our very old and beloved tree...

I have composed many posts about it before.

We come down here in all seasons.

I hope we never get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life that we neglect our family nature walks down to this tree.

Once back inside, we look for something relatable in our children's books.

You know by now, don't you, that this is our custom.

We found My Oak Tree by Diane Sherman, and this adorable illustration of a bare tree in the winter...

Looks just like our tree!

"Do you know a big oak tree?

Then you're lucky, just like me."

It usually doesn't take much to make me happy with winter again.

Just a short nature walk and a little fresh air.

The final lines of the Victoria article remind us that,

"Nature is chaotic, random, violent, uncontainable, no matter how hard we try to outwit it. But it's also dazzling, soothing, all-embracing, and restorative. Wonder is a bulky emotion - when it fills the heart and mind there's little room for anything else."

I hope you're getting out in the fresh air and sunshine this winter, friends.

xo,

~ Courtney ~