Our family recently had the privilege of spending some outdoors time with another family that we are blessed to be so close with but suffer from living so far apart from. They recently traveled our direction to visit family, and we greatly enjoyed hosting the 5 of them for a couple of exceptionally short days.
The outdoors was a large part of my childhood, and being in it always seems to lighten even my worst of moods. As we were walking with our (between us) six children and visiting amongst ourselves I was often distracted by the alluring smell of the pine trees that surrounded us. Living in a different town than I was raised, I rarely smell the pine aroma that was commonly enjoyed when I was younger and even taken for granted. I cannot say that there is single event I recall when I happen to have the enticing pine perfume grace my nostrils but rather, many.
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| The Black Hills |
The piney air opens inside a sense of freedom, and an overwhelming feeling of life I seem often to be lacking in the city. Perhaps the brief encounter with the forest I grew up in helped me to reawaken a portion of myself that seems dormant. I enjoyed seeing some of creation, hearing the sounds of free and wild living, and smelling the natural perfume that can only be truly appreciated where it originates.
Although our trip was just a brief taste of wildness, and we were constantly in contact with others enjoying many of the same things, it was enough to bring back my memories of wild solitude and many full days out of doors. It also served as a good reminder that our children have experienced far too few experiences, and made few too many connections with nature.
Long story made more briefly; the amazing power of memory stored in a single smell, was enough to motivate me to add yet another goal to my life to bring back what I had been missing. Also, the need to share something with my children that was a special part of mine and my husband’s growing up.
~Shy Willow