Nature is perfect beyond anything that man can create. Her wonders and variations are endless. I grew up in a family that camped and hiked. My mother can name any plant, wildflower, or bird. Today I realized that nature is something that has been missing in my life for awhile. I felt as if I were visiting an old friend - the kind of friend that can set everything right in your soul. I was filled with wonder, but also sadness because I feel that this should be a part of everyday life for everyone, and not just something that we experience when we take time out from our busy schedules. After taking just a few steps under the forest canopy, my stress levels disappeared and time evaporated. Normally when I walk, I am focused on the destination and how fast I can get there. Today it was about the journey - a journey filled with filtered sunlight, tiny butterflies, spider webs, and wild grapes ,with poison ivy and the possibility of snakes and bobcats thrown in for an element of adventure. As I walked on the trail, I could feel my heart pumping as I built up a slight sweat. My body was thrown into a natural, healthy, and active state. It occured to me that if we spent more time this way, the need for anti-depressants, ant-anxiety drugs, and diets would be greatly reduced. Is it any wonder that we all got to be better friends today ? More bonding went on today than in all of the other days combined. We all seemed to reconnect to our childhoods and to our roots. It ocurred to me later that when I was growing up, our best friends were the friends that we camped with. Natureis one of the common denominators of the human condition.I love wildflowers, and I try to learn the names of as many as I can and remember what they look like. Since we're not supposed to pick them, I collect them in my mind, their names, shapes, and colors. Today I was introduced to the Mexican Hat, a conical red and yellow flower, and frog fruit, a tiny lacy white flower. I would love to know where that name came from.After our talk back at the center, I became convinced that nature is vital to our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. There is no art in any museum that can compete with the beauty that God has created. I drove home basking in the glow of this day, telling myself that I will spend more time outdoors, and that I will make sure that my loved ones do so as well. As I drove up to my house, my daughter ran out the door screaming that a giant spider had spuna web on our rabbit hutch, and that she was sure it was poisonous, and she was scared to death. I think I need to take that girl on a hike. It's been too long.