It's summer break and like many parents, I find myself navigating the ups and downs of having my child at home - full time. Recently, one morning stood out in particular - a moment that turned into an unexpected adventure.
My son woke up feeling sad. When asked him he said he is unhappy as his friends don't call him a certain way. That feeling carried so much weight in his little heart and it was tough seeing him like that. I reminded him that we cannot control how others treat us or what they say about us. Instead we can focus on what brings us joy like "May be take a walk in the nature, or read a book, or ride your bike" I offered. To my surprise he immediately responded "Let's go for a walk in the nature" and so we did.
We stepped out just with a bottle of water and my mobile phone. Initially I thought we would get some fresh air for few minutes to lighten his mood and head back home. But what we started on as an impromptu walk ended up with a wonderful exploration of our environment and the quiet life that was blooming around us.
He started off by chasing a chirpy squirrel, then got distracted by a pair of butterflies and soon got engrossed observing the busy ants trail. As we got ahead, we came across a flower garden in its full bloom. It stuck him that was his grandmas favourite and wanted me to capture few pictures to share with her later.
A few steps ahead, an enormous tree full of round, green fruits resembling lychees - his recent favourite, caught his attention. We paused to explore more about the tree. We even enquired a kind lady who was tending to her garden nearby about the tree. After researching and reading about it on my phone, we found it was a sycamore tree and learnt few interesting things about it. We decided to revisit after a couple weeks to check the fruits when they are ripe. We might end up dissecting and learning more about the fruit. Who knows?
As we kept walking, we came across an old tree, with its bark peeling off with time. We discussed how old the tree could be and how many more years it could withstand. While checking the tree, a tiny fly on its trunk caught our attention, leading us into a series of observations - huge lion statues in front of a house sparked question about its design - why is it sculpted a certain way, a daffodil plant and its withering flowers made us question why do few flowers wither while rest of them and the plant is alive. We also learnt about flowering plants that were new to us like Adam's needle and bright daylilies.
Each discovery sparked little conversations, wide-eyed questions, and a sense of wonder. Enroute, my kiddo also made a leaf house for a tiny bug we spotted on the side walk and spent some time to explore how the little flower bed in our front yard coming along.
That day was one wonderful memory for me and my son which otherwise would have ended up just as another normal day - milk, books, breakfast and the usual checklist, or he would have continued to be grumpy and cranky the whole day. What began as a moment of self-doubt for my child turned into a day of discovery—for both of us. He returned home lighter, curious, and more confident. And I, too, felt restored by the spontaneity of the moment and the power of simply being present.
Sometimes, the best kind of learning and healing doesn’t happen in a classroom or through advice. It happens under trees, among bugs, beside a child who just wants to be seen and heard.
That day, nature held space for both of us. And for that, I’m grateful.
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