Mothering and Daughtering in Nature

“I love being natureous” is what my then 6 year old sighed and whispered to me one day out on one of our neighborhood walks. I giggled internally at the word she had just made up. But it was true. I’ve written several poems and stories about our adventures into the wild world aka our neighborhood in the city we live in in Kansas. I am team you-don’t-have-to-live-in-the-country-to-have-your-life-enriched-by-living- with-nature. You can observe the seasons and engage in seasonal living just by looking outside of your window and paying attention. I co-parent with the outdoors. When my kid is mad at me, I will find her outside swinging on the rickety swing, the sun and the air soothing her until she’s ready to come give me a piece of her mind. The wind between her braids and the gravel and grass between her toes helping her gather her thoughts until she’s calm and ready to chat.

Really what is all boils down to is slowing down. Getting off of these devices and just bing present with them and ourselves. Its so easy to stay plugged into the thoughts of others and never give ourselves the same care. In times of great grief I head to this tiny park in the middle of a development near our home. Theres a small fishing pond, but a little further theres a coppice of trees, some pine, some cedar, some osage orange all spindly, tall and reaching for the light. Amongst those trees I am able to breathe deeply and return myself. That message was one that my father instilled in me and one I hope to pass on to my family. This park is only 5 minute drive from my home.

Of course access to green spaces also depends on where you live. In the near future we will be moving to a historically Black area of our city. Tony and I have shared our grief for the change in landscape we will be taking our children to. You can see where racism and urban planning show up starkly. There are no sidewalks to make for safe walking , no trees lining the streets to create little micro systems we have become accustomed to on the west side. There are no parks within walking distance and the closest grocery store is several miles away. We will find a way to continue on these relationships.

We persevere,

Farai