AislinnDaisywithfish2 e1344265160171

Daisy and Aislinn with fish they caught

It’s amazing what a week in the Mountains can do for one’s outlook.  We had 22 assorted children, grandchildren and friends all gathered in one place in the mountains.  My goal was just to drink in the mountain air, help each grandchild catch a fish on a fly, spend time with people I love and reflect on the beauty of God’s goodness.  I got to do all those things.

Here are a few quotes from those on the trip:

“Can anyone not smell that fresh mountain air?!”  Calvin, 9

“I kept stepping back and back on the rock, and then I fell in the water.”  Gray, 5

“I love you so, so much.”  Fritz, 6

“I think it was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.”  Madeleine, 18

“The moon last night was amazing … There was no visible light anywhere except the moon.  I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”  Garrett

“Sometimes at home we forget the luxury of a nice warm shower.”  Caedran

“That’s the best fish I’ve ever tasted!”  A newbie, Allison

“How often do you get this close to five bull moose munching breakfast in a mountain meadow?”

We all need to get totally away from our normal activities every once in a while.  Even though not everyone likes the mountains and fishing like I do, each of us needs to find what part of nature particularly inspires us …. a garden, the beach, a local pond early in the morning while the fog is still hovering over the water, or just sitting in a park.

Here are a few statistics I just discovered on the ride home from Wyoming: “Researchers at the University of Essex in England crunched numbers on 10 mental health studies and discovered that outside activity heightens self esteem (as well as general mood) – and the biggest boost is in the first five minutes. In a Japanese study, adults who visited a forest preserve 2 days in a row experienced a jump in immune activity. And people who regularly immerse themselves in nature have high levels of brain activity in regions associated with altruism and love.”

So, enjoy green time.  Here are a few ways to work that into every day:

  • Have your morning coffee or tea outside. Sit outside for lunch.
  • Don’t squander weekends doing inside chores.
  • Bring nature indoors.  A potted plant or cut flowers can lift your spirits.
  • Go visit a garden center or botanical garden in your city.

I also keep my little fly box in my purse …  In fact, I have it sitting open by my computer right now.  Just looking at it brings back some of those feelings of freedom and inspiration that come over me when I am in the mountains.  I’m also going to try to figure out how to put a picture from the trip on my computer screen make me smile.  I am going to make time every day to take my mind to those good places that reassure me that we are each an infinitely important part of a beautiful universe and that everything is going to be okay.  Find the spot that makes you feel that, too.