"There is something infinitely healing in the refrains of nature...."

I was drawn to take book off my bookshelf and reread it today. Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder is a beautiful book full of nature photographs and her poetic descriptions of nature and how she relates to it.

Every time I read it, it uplifts me, and inspired me and reminds me why I do the work that I do.

The subtitle of the book is "A celebration of nature for parents and children" but I feel that even if you don't have children, it speaks to the child within us. Rachel shows us how anyone can learn to build connection with the natural world, and how you can share your appreciation for it even if you are not a super naturalist or know any names of the plants or animals.

We can awaken wonder and love of nature, and rediscover a sense of excitement and joy when we share nature with a child. Naming things and calling out facts about nature are not as important that being present with open awareness. Rachel says, "it is not half so important to know as to feel" and that "emotions and impressions of the senses" create the fertile ground where sense of curiosity and wonder can grow.

Referring to why it might be important to valuing a sense of wonder for the natural world, Rachel Carson writes:

"I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant. Those who dwell, as scientists and laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexation or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner contentment and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter."

When I slow down in nature, I feel such peace, wonder and awe. When I wander without a goal or direction and allow myself to follow what shows up, I can find delight in the small and commonplace things, like a patch of moss, dew drops on the tips of pine needles, or the acorns on the ground.

I remember that I an connected to the web of nature, or rather I AM nature. Stress melts away, and I am bathed in nature's healing balm.

Rachel Carson invites us to be receptive to what is around us, and becoming more aware through sensory awareness.

"For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind"

Partially blind is right. So, opening our senses -- listening, touching, feeling --helps to ground us in the moment, where the problems of life can melt away and give our minds the respite we need.

Today, I visited a local park that I haven't wandered in. I noticed a tree and made my way toward it. The massive size and twisty boughs that grew out like an octopus made me gasp in delight.

I had the impulse to nature journal so I took 10 minutes to sketch this tree towering over me. My attention then moved to the animals I was seeing and hearing. Opening my awareness further, I noticed the thousands of acorns on the ground.

Then the rattling call of the woodpecker above me drew my attention upwards to a clown-faced acorn woodpecker putting acorns into the bark of the tree. This is the pantry for his family where acorns are saved and tended to for the season. I quietly marveled at the work of the woodpeckers!

This book is full of inspiring poetic writing. Each time I read through, I'm filled with gratitude that I can appreciate nature this way.

Its what keeps me inspired in my personal life and in the work that I do to guide to cultivate wonder, curiosity, attentiveness, and appreciation for the natural world. This leads to a life that's more peaceful, more fulfilled, and more joyful.

I return to this book when I want inspiration or to feel uplifted. Reading Rachel's words is like being comforted with by a warm hug or wrapped in a cozy blanket.

It doesn't take long to read the entire book, but I love savoring the passages, lingering on her poetic words.

My copy of this book has many passages marked, and pages tabbed with sticky notes.

One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?"

Would you like to wander through a book that spark inspiration and open you to unnoticed beauty and explore with heartfelt wonder?

Use the link below to order your own copy through my bookshop and support independent booksellers.