Missing Nature
Winter Walk on the Potomac by Deirdre Parker
I am missing outdoor spaces.
I have frequently written in this space that walking in nature is both important and helpful to me. This week I noticed that I am missing easy access to serene outdoor spaces. This comes along with the decision to move to a more urban neighborhood and although I “knew” this, I didn't really KNOW it. Moving has so many layers and learnings and this piece is what I noticed this week.
I miss our big, mature, private and serene backyard. Our new yard is none of those things. It needs work, so that is part of it, but it is a very small yard in an urban neighborhood. We will be able to make it lovely, but it will not be the same.
I miss driving (or walking) along the parkway that runs beside the Potomac River. The seasonal changes in the trees, the light, and the river provided lovely scenery to enjoy; a cool, green space in the heat of summer; and spectacular winter sunrises. And, driving along that route after being stuck in traffic made me feel like I could breathe again.
I miss Fort Hunt Park, a National Park we could walk to in 5 minutes. It has very little car traffic, horses and stables, paths into the woods, and dedicated pedestrian and bicycle lanes. It is filled with huge trees, some big open spaces and is a nature preserve in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.
Do I wish we had not moved? No. These natural spaces came with tradeoffs, as everything does. All of that nature close at hand meant more social isolation and a lot more time in the car in order to get places. The big backyard meant lots of upkeep to keep the grass cut, the weeds at bay, the leaves raked, and countless trees and bushes pruned. There was no drawback to the proximity of the park, but I remember thinking that I was getting so bored walking there - especially in the early months of the pandemic.
We chose an urban lifestyle for our next phase of life, and I have found the ease and simplicity I longed for; but living with less green is something I lost in the trade. I miss these spaces in the way that we all sometimes long for something we love(d), even though we know that we are on to better things. I lived in my old neighborhood for nearly 30 years in two different houses so I should not even be surprised that I find myself in this position. Now that I am noting that loss and change, maybe it is time for me to find some new parks, or to go back occasionally and visit the old ones.
When we have an insight into something that has shifted in our lives, we have an opportunity to grow, reflect, ponder and to consider what comes next.
