For Christmas, I got Tony the mini-series on National Parks that PBS ran. We’ve been watching them in the last couple of days as entertainment while we’ve been snowbound. Our country has such a large palette of beautiful landscapes.
In the summer of 2003, we took a three week trip out west and saw numerous national parks: SD – Mount Rushmore, Badlands, and Wind Cave; WY – Grand Teton and Yellowstone; UT – Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion; CA – Sequoia and Yosemite; and AZ – Grand Canyon. It was the trip of a lifetime. We saw so many wondrous sights.
Watching the mini-series brought back so many memories. It also made me realize that my reactions to the parks were similar to so many others that have also visited, lived in, and worked in them. I’m so glad that our nation saw fit to set aside these beautiful majesties for the citizens of the world to partake in.
The series pointed out the great debates that ensued over setting aside the lands – something I had not really considered before. Being of the generation that just enjoys these parks vs. being of the generation that fought for their existence makes me feel a bit unappreciative. I guess the same can be said of our nation as a whole. How many of us truly understand the great sacrifices made for the freedoms we take for granted each and every day?!
Nature has been a part of my life since birth. I thank my Dad for his outdoor adventuresome nature. I’ve always been a tomboy that has loved to be in the woods breathing unencumbered fresh air. It’s befitting that I now live in a log cabin nestled in the woods of a holler along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which itself is a national park. There is no grander experience than to sit on the front porch swing listening to the babbling creeks that border the house while the birds are singing their cheerful songs. Surely this is what Heaven will hold.
In the eyes of nature, we are each the same. It does not ask us our heritage, our financial status, our educational skills. It simply invites us in to experience the moment. It’s like sitting at a warm hearth at the foot of a grandparent’s rocker sharing the stories of our ancestors. It envelopes our souls and asks nothing in return.
Nature, the greatest equalizer of all.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment