The Gift

We can spend our time and money trying to find some material possession that will make our children happier, better and brighter, or we can step off the rat race treadmill and walk away from what the world defines as “it”. Children are small once and the memories that they will take to adulthood will probably be radically different then the ones we will have.

There are so many things in life that parents can give their children freely that will enable them to grow as individuals. There is in the world around us a certain amount of magic that was there when we were children, that we forgot when we grew up. If you have not experienced some of the things listed below, try them, you might even like them !

There is nothing in the world that tastes as good as a ripe tomato, freshly picked from the vine and still warm from the sun. There is nothing that one can cook, buy or barter for that will leave such a lasting impression. Teach your children that food comes from the earth and that it will never taste as good as freshly picked and eaten.

It is quite possible to stop time. A very secret fact known only to those people willing to sit and listen to the stillness. If you want to stop time, go to the beach, sit down and watch the waves. No talking, no music, no distraction allowed. Time will stop and so will the pressures of life. This same theory applies to watching snow fall in a street lamp in a darkened room in the dead of winter. If you have access to neither of these, learn to listen to the cycle of life around you. It may be the schedule of the birds in your area, or the way that the neighborhood around you wakes up or goes to sleep.

The miracle that anything ever grows reminds us that we can make a change in the world. Planting flowers and herbs, or even a small garden, and participating in the magical process of gardening brings us hope and renews our heart. Plant sunflowers and stand back in awe.

Fallen leaves raked painstakingly into a mountain will never be as valuable as a three hundred dollar toy. The smell of fall will bring back memories of a more innocent time to even the most mature “adult” in all of us. It is good to remember that life is indeed that simple sometimes.

Consider your strongest memories centered around a season, or nature, or an outside activity and either share the

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