In early January, I had the pleasure of walking along a section of the C&O Canal that I had not fully explored before. The mission was to find the right location for our therapeutic backpacking trips this year. What I found were simple pleasures of the natural world – both tranquil and dynamic. The outstretched naked canopies of old white sycamores seemed to say “I’ll hold the sky up for you if you want to come on through.” Hefty squirrels taunted me with their twitching tails. Canada geese floated along the Potomac like buoys. Water in the canal, abandoned by turtles for the winter, sat still like glass.
As I tried to keep pace with my energetic sidekick, Hazel, a cattledog/pitbull rescue, I asked out loud about the where-abouts of the waterfowl, “Where are you? This is the perfect sunny winter day to sit pond-side.” In the same moment I reminisced about a great blue heron that spent all of December occupying the riverbanks behind my house, a different blue heron took off from nearby shrubs and spread its giant wings in front of us on the walking path as if to respond, "Here I am!" I smiled. Do we have the power to manifest these coincidences? Maybe. Does nature listen and respond if we ask good questions? Perhaps. What I know for sure is these interactions with the natural world have the power to inspire a sense of belonging, nurturing, and connection to something outside of ourselves. That is why the work we do in connecting our clients to nature means so much to us at Outdoor Therapeutics. Because when we have questions, or feel lost, are lonely, or seek guidance, and the people we know and trust aren’t available, there’s a blue heron that reminds you you’re in good company.
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