Sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. I feel bored, anxious, unsure…or maybe all of the above. I bet you know the feeling.
I might grab a snack even though I’m not hungry, get on Facebook or Insta to see if there’s any drama there, or check out the online news headlines. But I still feel uneasy and am not sure what to do with myself.
Then I grab my hat and sunglasses and head outside.
I walk straight out to my garden, where I grow all those amazing flowers.
Instantly I feel relief. My anxiety seems to melt away with each deep breath. I feel the sun warming my arms, hear the birds singing and the wind laughing through the trees, and smell the incredible scents of basil, roses, and marigolds all converging.
It takes me back.
It takes me back to my childhood, days playing outside with my five siblings. Days where we spent all day from morning until night playing outside and making up our own activities with what we found.
There was no Amazon.
There were no outdoor tvs, or fancy water balloons that fill up in seconds.
We had our old one-speed bikes, our imaginary town filled with a gas station, park, and drive-thru fast food restaurant, and our creativity.
We found whatever boxes we could and made car seats for our baby dolls. The car seats got belted to the fronts of our bikes with whatever leftover ribbon or string we could find.
We spent lots of days and hours at our grandparent's homes.
We played games with our cousins, games like Red Rover…games that were easy to play when there were 20+ of you. We ate watermelon, picked raspberries, dug potatoes, and snapped green beans.
We’d enjoy Pepsi under Grandma and Grandpa’s shade tree, and go on long walks with Grandma.
We’d try to make it in by 3:00 so we could watch Little House on the Prairie followed by Diff’rent Strokes.
I couldn't imagine life without my grandparents.
When my grandma left us over ten years ago, her idyllic property was left behind.
I assumed it meant no more visiting Grandma’s house.
It was safety. It was laughter and fun. It was sweet treats.
It was the smell of Folgers coffee and what I now believe to be Gain laundry detergent (I’ve spent many times smelling the fragrances of laundry detergents trying to figure out which one Grandma used).
So when I heard that my cousin and his wife were possibly purchasing my grandma’s home along with some of her land, my heart was so happy.
I knew Grandma would be happy. I knew Ben would treat it well.
And he has.
Ben and his wife have been incredibly gracious about sharing their updated home and incredible land with the family.
They allow us to visit whenever we would like.
They also host a wonderful gathering each summer to let us meet up and be ourselves again.
Being there takes me back to part of my childhood, something that has played an enormous role in making me who I am.
It takes me back to so many who love me, to those who used to love me, and to so many that I get to love.
I love being able to share it with my own kids.
It takes me back to encountering wildlife, taking long walks, and enjoying the fruits that nature gives us.
It reminds me of the importance of getting outside. The importance of realizing the world is so much bigger than us and the four walls that surround us.
Try it sometime. You don’t need a property that’s full of memories.
Start somewhere. Anywhere.
Sit under the stars. Walk outside during your lunch hour. Buy locally grown veggies and use them in your cooking. Host a cookout. Take in a baseball game. Fly a kit with your grandson. Visit a new park. Take in a free outdoor concert. Eat ice cream at a picnic table. Take a stroll looking for beauty in your own yard. Hike at Turkey Run State Park.
Make your memories outside.
It’s no coincidence that being in nature increases feelings of happiness.
I'm just glad that I finally figured out what I really need.
Thank you, Ben and Sandi. Grandma (and Grandpa) would be so proud.
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