It was only 11am and I was ready to drop!
It had been a very busy week and I felt like I’d been moving non-stop. (I know you hear me Mama!)
I usually have the energy to keep up with the pace but on this morning I just wanted to lay on the couch and doze for a few hours. I craved rest, relaxation and peace.
But with two children, who like the sun were getting into their full force of energy for the day, that desire was just a dream. A dream that couldn’t find sleep to express itself.
I didn’t want to get grouchy in my tiredness so instead of sleeping we went into the garden.
Even though I was engaged in physical activity rather than rest, it took just 5 minutes of weeding in between my herb beds in the warm sunshine for me to feel rejuvenated. And the more I worked the less tired I felt. This is the power of nature!
The sweet smell of mint, bergamot, basilic, cilantro and rosemary wafted into my nose as I worked between them. I was fueled by a burst of aromatic herbal rejuvenation.
The children were happily occupied too. Amarii was busy hitting a tree stump (which is his favourite thing to do in the garden) and Keeyah was weeding with me. I joyfully expressed how much I loved days like this – just me and my children in the garden. Of course we are missing Organic Dad like crazy but I was trying to stay in the present moment and savour all the goodness.
(Nature connection side-note: I often naturally and spontaneously talk about how much I am enjoying our moments in nature and reflect on the beauty of what we see. This is also a conscious effort to model an appreciation for nature for my children and help give them the language and freedom to express their own connection and love for nature. It’s important to help develop this skill as so many of our most wonderful moments in nature can get overlooked if we don’t speak it or record it in some way. People who have spent time with my children often remark on their use of language. Just last week a friend said she was amazed when they introduced her to the garden asking her ‘Isn’t it spectacular?’)
I was so happy that I started to sing. Then I remembered a game we had played a few weeks ago to take turns sharing our songs with each-other. The children had loved it before and the game seemed to fit the moment as a way to connect with each other and appreciate the gifts of the garden.
Since they had drifted off into their own games by this point, I beckoned them over by inviting them to taste herbs and they proceeded to devour the leaves of the mint, basil and dill plants. Fresh breath all round!
Then we moved on to the song and after the first few rounds where I was blown away by their impromptu compositions I asked them if I could quickly get the I-pod to record them. Here is one from Amarii:
After being rejuvenated with the power of nature,song and togetherness we enjoyed a delicious lunch and then went on to spend the late afternoon soaking in the hot springs located 5 mins from our house. Life in nature is bliss.
The Nature Pirates! Yes my children do have their own cutlasses but they are blunt.
p.s if you read this far then please take a minute to leave a comment below! Tell me about your garden, your nature songs or anything else!
This post was originally posted in May 2014 for my previous blog ‘Child of the Nature Isle’