Natures gift
When I was a child, my family lived in a small town in the mountains of upstate New York. The houses were so far apart that it would take twenty minutes to walk over and say “hello” to a neighbor. Most kids would complain about the inconvenience, and some talked about “getting out of this small town”. They never took the time to fully appreciate the gift it truly was to grow up there, surrounded by all the beauty of nature.
The mountains filled the entire sky line and would hold snow caps well into June. It was not more than a hundred yards between any given bodies of water. There were bustling mountain streams rolling over rounded rocks, throwing white foam to the surface. The trout there were as smart, if not smarter than the anglers who fish for them.Peppering the valley were ponds filled with fish, and frogs, covered in bright green lily pads with tall cat tail stalks scattered about.
It was such a visually stimulating environment the colors on the trees in autumn would explode in the late afternoon sunlight, and the little white buds on the mountain laurel lined the trails to assure an auspicious journey. The trails were endless, and hiking there was like walking through a North American animal exhibit at a museum. The animals were everywhere, from deer and rabbits in the meadows, to snakes and lizards slithering through the rocks.
The sounds and scents of that time still remain strong in my memories, and sometimes when I hear or smell them now, I am overcome with this nostalgia of a simpler time. It can be the sound of the peep frogs chirping a rhythmic song just before dusk, or the wind whistling through the long blades of grass in a meadow. It is also the sweet aroma of lilacs thick in the air like a fresh baked pie, and the nose curling stench of an alfalfa field after it rains. No matter what the trigger of my memory, it is always a welcome reminder of my childhood.
Although, I no longer have the innocent, carefree life of my youth, the memories of the mountain valley will remain with me. It is with a sense of gratitude to myself, that I recall these memories. I am thankful that as a kid I took the time to appreciate the beauty of the mountains. My hope is that more kids will recognize the beauty of the world around them, and get out and enjoy it, learn to appreciate it, and care for it in the future!
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