I have always found solace in the little joys of nature. I remember walking in our garden one morning and coming across a spider web drenched in dewdrops that were glistening golden in the mild morning sun rays. Years after, I still smile at the memory of it.
In spring, the owlets would call out in a roll of sweet tittering sounds (that they do only in the breeding season) from their nests in the tree hollows in the evening. Listening to them soothed me in a way I cannot describe in words. It felt as if things would always get alright, and all the stress would lift from my heart instantly. I would collect fallen white flowers beneath the medlar trees during my evening walks. The flowers filled the air with their heady fragrance, the likes of which no artificial air freshener can mimic. In the mornings, I would sit at my study table and watch the flocks of chestnut tailed starlings feasting on wild red berries from the tree outside the window. Sometimes, I would follow the songs of black hooded orioles in the yard and find the striking birds flitting through the trees. I remember being roused from my afternoon nap once by the piercing cooing calls of a couple of crow pheasants.
Now that I’ve moved to a new city where my college is, I no longer get to stroll in the garden back home except for a few days every year. But at times, the magic of the wilderness creeps in here, too. Whenever I feel low, I sit on the window ledge and watch the wild parakeets among the royal poinciana trees, and feel a bit of my worries dissolving. After quiet a long stay at another place, I once returned to my terrace apartment to find the royal poinciana in the field below ablaze with flame colored flowers. I found myself thinking of love and passion…of the love I harbored for someone and which I wished to show.
In summer last year, when I had visited home, I heard soft chirping coming from the veranda. I followed the sounds to discover a nest of magpie robin hatchlings in the old electricity meter box on the wall. All I could think was, I live in the best place in the world!
The next morning, I trod through the front yard, soaking my bare feet in the dew-covered grass. I halted in front of the night jasmine tree, inhaling the subtle scent of the flowers that had made a white carpet on the ground. I collected a few to keep sniffing at while I continued exploring.
We are all blessed with the ability to discover joy in the greatness of the small things around us. So breathe, look around, become an observer, and I assure you, you will find a reason to smile for a while even in the darkest hours of your life. Being in sync with nature has benefits you might not even know yet. A ray of light, however feeble, still manages to light up a part of a dark tunnel for a few moments. So take what you have got, and make the most of it. Listen to the music of the rustling leaves and the birds around you, and whistle along with it. Here’s to a wonderful life with all its perks and peeves. Cheers!
amberchocolate11 