Fort Worth Botanic Gardens




In the middle of the stress that surrounds finals, Mary and I found refuge. Mary, taking the nature class with me, and I decided to stroll through the grounds right after each completing a final for one of our other classes. The air was crisp and it was a cold afternoon. 40 degrees is not a suitable temperature for a native Texan like myself, but it felt good. It felt good to get away from campus and rest the mind and soul. My eyes opened, peering all around the gardens and examining each unique tree and landscape. It was like a 10 minute drive transported me into a whole other world, one that was alive and fresh. There were soothing streams, reflective pools, larger-than-life trees, and the residual of flowers. One flower bush we passed only had one flower on it left, but it was a bright-red, flourishing rose. I couldn't help but smile. This flower was still shining even though the world around it was coming after it. Winter was upon it but the flower did not give in. Finals was upon me, but I was not going to give in. Though it is the winter and most of the trees looked barren, there was beauty in the decay. The trees gave off an aroma that was brainwashing. I could tell the smells were natural, nothing you could manufacture in the city. The smells reminding me that I was in nature and should appreciate it instead of rushing through it. On one side of the gardens you could see the highway, but I refused to look. I wanted to stay there in the gardens forever. Stay in the moment. Stay safe in nature. We continued to walk through the grass and the different trails, occasionally glancing up at the towering trees. The flora everywhere was beckoning us to consider looking past our current situations and into a deeper importance. Though our finals are important, we must seek true importance in our experiences on this earth, enjoy the world around us, and give all the rest to God. "Look through your situation and find purpose" the wise trees said. They've been through more than we have. I've been blinded by my next obstacle. My next final. My next week. The responsibilities were a log in my eyes. A thorn in my flesh. My time in nature took the log out of my eye, I could see again. As we drove back to campus, I was refreshed and not worried about the rest of my finals. 

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