We are now living in a time of new “normals”. Social distancing has become one of them. Of course we know it’s to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This post will not be about the virus. I’m not a doctor or infectious disease specialist, so I am certainly not qualified to dispense any information. All I will say is please listen to the experts. They do know what they are dealing with.
Many of us are dealing with hard times. Some people cannot go to work because businesses have been closed. We are anxious about what is happening and fearful as well. Believe me, I am right there with you.
I am normally out every day looking for photos to take. It’s harder now with many parks that are closing. What can we do? Even with the restrictions we have, it’s a good idea to get out when you can. We can so easily get “stir crazy” sitting in the house.
It’s not an antidote to what people are feeling. For me, the anxiety gets very bad. I have tried to find ways I can relieve it a little. I take my dog for long walks. I started taking my camera with me when I noticed all the daffodils blooming. I thought to myself that perhaps seeing the small things in nature that we often overlook might bring people a little joy. I began taking photos and posting them on Facebook.
I have found it to be quite therapeutic. I do suffer from anxiety disorder and, at times, depression. So as I would walk my Luciano, I started taking photos as Spring starts to unfold. Sometimes it was just the buds on a tree or even unusual patterns of bark. Every day I would find more and more. The flowers started to open on the trees, the daffodils were in full bloom, the hyacinth started to come out, and of course, the forsythia are there in big, bold yellow. You see, even in stressful times, we can see beauty all around us. I have come to really love looking at patterns in tree bark. Some are so fascinating the way they grow. It’s like nature’s fingerprint.
If you can, perhaps you can put a bird feeder up. I take pictures of the birds that come to my yard. I love to watch them and see the different species that come to feed. Squirrels and rabbits are all out, too. Squirrels are so much fun to watch. They are little acrobats trying to get at the feeder, but they can’t. They scurry around underneath and eat the seeds that fall. Rabbits are adorable. Try and see their mouths as they eat the grass and other vegetation. It’s so cute to watch.
While we may all be sheltering in place, we can still go out for walks. When you do, stop, listen and look. There really is so much beauty that you may not have noticed before. Maybe it will help a little to find the little (and big) things to look at in nature and not have to worry about all that is going on-even for a short time.
We will get through this-together. I will be keeping up my blog and writing more often. Please everyone, be safe and let’s take care of each other. Peace.
