Life/Mini-prompt

The Healing Power of Nature

How it teaches us patience, resilience, endurance and hope

Nature has always fascinated me, but over the course of these last two years I developed an even greater appreciation for nature and all its beauty.

Daily walks with my husband are what kept me sane throughout the various lockdowns over these last couple of years.

Now I can’t imagine a single day going by without enjoying a walk out in nature: I am blessed to be living in Oakville, Canada in close proximity to the Lakeshore and am attracted to the lake like a magnet; depending on when I can manage to get away, I make it a point to go there- it can be early morning to watch the sunrise, a morning walk, a leisurely afternoon stroll or to admire a beautiful sunset.

Just being there fills me with a sense of peace and makes my worries and anxieties melt away.

I shared some of my favourite pictures shot by the water here:

March, has always held a special place in my heart, signifying the end of winter with the trees coming to life, the daffodils and crocuses finding their way out of the soil, heralding the arrival of spring and the birds returning to entertain us with their song in the mornings.

Just like Mother nature, I too come to life after the long winter. My energy levels and mood in general drop significantly in winter as the days get short, dark and cold. With the advent of spring, all the lethargy melts away, and a renewed zest for life returns.

This past March was doubly special for me, as I happened to be visiting my parents in Pakistan, where spring was in its beautiful prime.

It also gave me the chance to enjoy my mother’s garden in full bloom. I draw inspiration from it, just as my mother has done all her life- she has nurtured her garden with tender loving care, channelling her anxieties and facing all challenges that come her way, including a critical illness, with a spirit of positivity and resilience, focusing on what brings her joy — nature.

The entire month that I was there, my day would start with a stroll in her garden, seeing which new flowers had bloomed, listening to the chirping of the lovely koels and mynas and then heading out for a walk in the gated colony where my parents live. Being out and about so early in the morning, surrounded by trees, shrubs and flowers was truly therapeutic.

Nature fills me with a sense of awe and gives me perspective — It makes me see how trivial my own worries and concerns are, helping to reduce the ego to a manageable size!

Being outdoors has the power to ground us…when we are caught up in our work, chasing deadlines, juggling work, family and social commitments we get too caught up in our thinking mind.

When out in nature we begin to realise how small we really are, in the grand scheme of things, connected to everything around us. Something much bigger than ourselves.

One can learn so much from nature… it is the perfect guide, we only have to allow ourselves to see — it teaches us the importance of patience, endurance and resilience. And above all, it teaches us hope.

There are periods when everything thrives, a splash of colour all around, but these periods are inevitably followed by cold, bleak and stormy spells.

But no matter how dark the days, the sun does eventually shine through and breathes new life all around…one just has to be patient.

The key is to keep persevering, not giving up in the face of challenges.

“There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it.” ~ Charlotte Eriksson

“The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.”

~ D.H. Lawrence

Thank you to Yana Bostongirl and B.R. Shenoy for this wonderful prompt. I am so sorry for being late with my submission, but glad to have at least made it :)

I would love to give a shoutout to and share the work of one of my favourite writers here Keri Mangis:

Tagging a few people who I think might enjoy this:

Art Bram Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages Dennett pockett dessert Evon Erika Burkhalter Sahil Patel Sara Burdick Tasneem H Yousuff Umme Salma Lady Dr. Gabriella Korosi