I took a walk through River Legacy today. It was like visiting an old friend. Both of us have changed through the years, but at our cores, we’re still the same. I walked through the pathway in awe of nature. The smell of the forest tickled my nose. I could see a million different shades of green around me. The blue sky seemed bluer, the grass seemed greener. I felt alive. I watched as a butterfly landed on my friend’s lower back. My eyes lit up, my breath caught, and I instantly took a walk through time.
I am a little girl with pigtails flowing and a new-found sense of adventure. I’m hiking through the woods, too stubborn to show my fear to my brother. The plants and trees tower over me. I’m holding the hands of my big strong hero of a daddy knowing that he is bigger than anything else in the forest and he alone can keep me safe.
I am a fifth grader on a class trip. We are on a voyage through the woods, delighting in our first taste of freedom. We are camping and learning more about the world around us. It is exhilarating.
I am a teenager asserting my independence as I walk through a trail with my friends. We are old enough to hike on our own and way too smart to need a map or any directions. Two hours later, we are tired and humbled, but we certainly found adventure and a memory to hold dear for years to come.
I am a college student escaping the confines of finals and high expectations. For just a couple of hours, I am free to enjoy God’s masterpiece. The studying can wait. A beautiful spring day is something to be treasured.
I am a young adult traveling through the jungles of
And, now, I am a teacher, reliving all these emotions and feeling my heart swell as I search for new opportunities to share God’s masterpiece with the children he entrusts to me. Teaching, like nature, is a gift that must be cherished. I keep walking.
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