Almost everyone has heard the phrase, ‘stop and smell the roses’.
Have you lately?
In today’s rushed social media world where everyone is posting while walking down the street, I put forth a challenge. I ask you to put your phone in your pocket, go outside, and lay down in a grassy patch of land with some trees nearby. Close your eyes and listen. Listen to Mother Nature as she whispers a story in a bird’s song or plays a tune through the rustling leaves in the trees.
Take your hand and run your fingers through the blades of grass. Examine a tree leaf and all the intricate beautiful designs that are patterned along it. If you have the chance, literally stop and smell a rose, or pick up a ladybug and watch how it crawls along your arm.
The email can wait.
The phone call can wait.
That post can wait.
Mother Nature loves to dance, let her take your hand and waltz you to a calmness in your soul. Hopefully the stress will flow away like a river babbling downstream. Life is fast…so fast it seems like my seven-year-old son was an infant just yesterday. Whenever I feel the rush is too much, I go to nature to relax. Albert Einstein said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Hippocrates said, “Nature itself is the best physician.” Make it a point on a regular basis to reconnect with your roots . . . pun intended.
At Camp Fire, one of our core values is helping youth connect (or re-connect!) with nature. Our after school programs offer outdoor learning experiences through free play outdoors. In our Child Development Center, you’ll often find classrooms of young children outside with their teachers exploring bugs, grass, plants, and more. At Camp El Tesoro, youth and adults alike have an opportunity to connect with the natural world like nowhere else. Whether it be day camp, overnight camp, family camp, or a retreat – Camp El Tesoro offers 223-acres of explorable, natural land. At the Texas Outdoor Education Center, we don’t just teach lessons – we offer an immersive outdoor school adventure.
Camp Fire helps youth ‘stop and smell the roses’.
Ready to see how youth in your life can benefit from outdoor experiences? Contact us for more information.
