By Ridhi Murari:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”— John Keats
I begin by sharing this immortal piece of poetry with you so that I can begin to describe the abundance nature has blessed us with. I know it seems pretty basic but I’d like to share the magic of nature from how I see it and hope you find your piece of magic too:
Rain — If not for rain, how could we describe the emotions surging in us? Those lonely and depressed in their darkest times choose to walk in the rain, those happy and bursting with joy dance in the rain, those wanting a quiet time with themselves or their special someone want rain to watch it cleanse the world outside and some just want rain to wait till the end to catch a glimpse of the rainbow.
Sun– The sunrise and the sunset mark such significant changes worldwide. Time would be an alien construct to us without the sun. Colours, light and everything bright would have been a mere illusion for even the nights wouldn’t have existed without the sun’s light reflecting through the moon. Our first work of art in class where we typically draw a mountain, a river, birds and the sun would be incomplete and we’d all be pretty frozen and cold all year round. I think for complete brilliance of how the sun stands as a selfless giver, we must celebrate the sun’s existence in all its glory.
Trees — Beginning as plants, they grow up into such huge trees and bear fruits or just leaves and surround us in parks. A walk taken in their company feels like two things breathing in synchrony, our breath is dependent on them and they’re dependent on us to water and help them grow. Such a symbiotic relationship exists when we love each other too.
Wind- Many a times on a windy day, we love to get swayed away by the currents of the wind. Tumultuous as it may be, a wind blows up in our face to show nothing’s going to be permanent and what was at a time in one place has to get displaced eventually. From one journey to the next, that’s how transitions in life will be.
Mountains, Hills and Peaks– A rough climb on a high slope, the coarse material constructing the whole, one slip or mistake and a fall to remember. I think without mountains, hills or peaks we wouldn’t be able to learn the value of hard work. It takes a lot of hard work to reach the top and the journey is just as coarse and difficult but without this essential road we wouldn’t really know of heights or what lies up above the world so high.
Flowers – Flowers are of such diversity, fragrance and wonderful nature. It is the gift nature presents us with to decorate or beautify our lives. If not for flowers, how could a man know a way to a woman’s heart? If not for flowers, we wouldn’t know how to see the world in its delicate, fragile yet simple beauty of being. Flowers mark celebration in every which way in our lives, from birth to love, and stay by our side in the worst of times like illness and death. Nature is magnanimous in her approach to symbolize her presence in every human condition in our lives.
Ocean, Sea, Rivers and Lakes – Apart from the dry facts we know about water constituting 70% of the world and our body, the forms of water which exist are profoundly deep. As a child my mother always asked me ‘How much do you love me?’ Having studied about water at the time, I answered ‘As deep as ocean’. For me as a child, that defined a level of depth I could never reach or understand. I think, apart from the lesson of depth of a variety, water reflects a certain calmness and purity unperturbed by anything else. It reflects a flow of life which is ongoing and will remain a lasting phenomena regardless of our existence.
Though nature may be silent and performs her tasks at her predisposal, we must remain aware of the abundance it provides us with silently, day after day. It is of great honor to be a part of the world and to experience nature everywhere, making us feel like we’re not lonely living beings. They exist with us; though their forms may change, the essence remains the same as is true for all of mankind regardless of gender, ethnicity, culture, society and that by far is the most significant of lessons nature has blessed us with.