Link to the treehug picture here

For as long as I can remember, my goal in life was to become a better version of myself. I worked hard and was focused on making it on a professional level. I didn't have time to connect with nature as an adult. Long gone were the sunset walks barefoot on the beach or climbing up a mountain before sunrise to watch the light growing at dawn. I wanted to be financially and otherwise independent. Sacrifices needed to be made. It didn't bother me much that I had acquired a property with a garden that others mended for me. I was rarely at home, constantly on the move, from this to that country. I never failed to keep a connection, no matter how faint, with anything related to nature, when I had a moment. And I had less and less of these. Until one day...

It was March 2020. My flights are canceled. Airports are being closed worldwide, one after the other. We are isolated in our homes. This is all for the general good. A tiny virus was apparently threatening mankind with extinction. I am working online from the comfort of my living room, sometimes even my bed when it was too cold. I am battling headaches, stomach pain, and insomnia. Sleeping less than whatever average is required never bothered me: I would spend that extra time reading. It was also a queue to use my Netflix subscription. And then one day, during a Zoom call, a ray of sun on my terrace caught my eye. I left my excel sheets and ventured out. It felt good. It was mid-April, i.e. springtime, and I noticed how the garden was getting ready to bloom. From that day on, I would set a reminder to walk out barefoot on the lawn, soak in at least 10 min of sun, close my eyes, and listen to the sounds of nature. It's amazing what that relationship can do to you!

Some quotes about nature:

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere - Vincent Van Gogh

Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished - Lao Tzu

We should consider nature our home, not a place to visit - Roxana Jones

The art of healing comes from nature and not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature with an open mind - Paracelsus

Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better - Albert Einstein

In every walk in nature, one receives far more than he seeks - John Muir

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature - Gerard de Nerval

We call Nature a mother. Yet, we do not keep that vital link to it. Earthing, breathing in the pure air that trees provide us with, smelling fresh soil or flowers, touching and even hugging trees, are all small gestures to release our bodies from toxins and stress and taking in all the soothing energy and the higher healing frequency that Nature is more than happy to transfer to us. If the Covid frenzy taught me anything, it's that I should nurture that liaison with Nature 😊