The Unlimited Beauty of Nature

When I was younger, I am not sure I ever stopped and appreciated the beauty of nature, and that is understandable — not too many young folks are enamored with trees, flowers, or bugs.

Sure, I would see a rainbow or a waterfall and think wow, that is neat,” and I kept moving along. I do not think I ever stopped and truly admired the colors, brightness, flow, rhythms, or sounds that nature gives us constantly until recently.

Now that I am in my 40s, I am constantly admiring the trees, grass, flowers, clouds, and all things outdoors.

I wonder if this is because I have 24/7 access to my phone — I am always wanting to fill my camera roll with photos of my surroundings — or if, as we get older, we notice and appreciate the beauty that has always been here all along.

I will snap a picture of a tree and look at it, and I will notice leaf shape, rigid edges, and color fading or fading away, and I will always be a bit amazed.

Lately, I have been taking photos when I am a passenger in the car (car window photography is what I call it), and I am truly in awe sometimes of the different angles I capture.

My teenagers do not seem to see what the big deal is about these photos I snap, and I keep telling them one day they will see what the big deal is. Admiring nature is soothing; we usually have so…