Seeing Nature Through the Eyes of a Child

If we truly want to see Nature, and not just in the way that we want to see her, but in her true form, we only need to spend time with children while out in Nature. Children are still awake to her magic, as their vision has not been distorted by years of programming and conditioning by our “civilized society.”

Their hearts are open, which in turn means that they can feel truth. And this leads to their eyes seeing truth, and to their ears hearing truth. We are all meant to experience Nature in this way. This is why babies love to be outside and are calmed by the fresh air and the singing of the birds. This is our true home.

My family and I go on regular Nature walks, and one of the most exciting times to do so is in the spring when the Earth is waking up from her rest. The pond is always a popular attraction as it attracts all life, including geese, ducks, turtles, muskrats, and an all-time kid favourite; snails. I have been collecting empty snail shells since I was a kid, and now I share in this fun with my kids.

I find this to be one of the greatest wonders of Nature; no matter how many times you can see or experience something, such as the discovery of a snail shell or the magnificence of a sunset, it always feels like the first time. It is always a new moment. Perhaps this is the key of true magic. When we look to the man-made world of toys and entertainment, as exciting as they can be the first time, let’s be honest, it all gets old pretty quickly. There is no life in them, so once we stop giving our energy to it, it dies.

Aside from finding snail shells, we also enjoy the thrill of finding all those lost hockey pucks that had been shot into the banks over the course of the winter pond hockey season.

As a child I always looked forward to the ice melting as this meant I could set sail on my raft. Actually, I barely waited for the ice to melt. I would set sail anyway and break the ice ahead of me as I went. I recall spending an entire spring break smacking the ice ahead of my raft with a large stick. The goal was to break a trail to the end of the pond, and with the help of my cousins, mission accomplished.

My dad had made my raft for me out of hydro poles and it floated very well; it was able to hold myself, my dog Teddy, a German Shepherd/Collie cross and loyal companion, as well as 2 cousins when they visited from the city.

As I grew up, I moved on from my days of rafting and pretending to be a runaway child, or a pirate, or Huckleberry Finn. And my raft moved on as well. It set sail on its own and ended up “shipwrecked” near the end of our pond. Not long ago, my kids decided that they were going to find mom’s old raft, and they did, thanks to the flag pole that still stands proudly in the centre of her.

No longer “sea worthy”, the cattails have now claimed my raft. One year a Canada Goose even chose it as a perfect spot to make her nest. As I looked upon this old relic of my childhood, I remembered the home-made flag that used to fly, the old oak log that was my seat, and the happy girl that pushed a pole along the muddy bottom of a pond, propelling herself into another adventure. I also thought of my grandpa, who had made me a sign to stand along the banks of the pond where I docked my raft. “Big River” was the hand-painted name on the wooden sign, and along with it he painted a picture of a beaver on a dam. My grandpa had never forgotten how to see with the eyes of a child.

Every day I ask to see the world through the eyes of a child, as I feel there is always room for improvement, that I can always “go deeper”; that the world can always be more magical. I am fortunate to have 3 children to help me along the way. However, if I didn’t, I know that Nature has an endless supply of teachers.

Curiosity is an essential component in seeing the world through the eyes of a child, and in my experience, a chicken would have to be the most curious animal of them all. Their “need to know” renders them fearless. No matter where I am in my yard, or what my task is, they will find me and display more intrigue in what I am doing than I do. Not only do they love the company of people, but they love to see what you are up to, especially if this means digging around in gardens. They will scratch right along with me, poking around, interested in what we will find.

Along with walks by the pond, another grand event around our place is when the weather has warmed enough for us to enjoy our first picnic. It’s a simple pleasure that we look forward to year after year.

I’ve often wondered about those who do not see, or wish to see Nature. If Nature is reflecting our inner world back to us, does this mean that they do not wish to honestly look at themselves either? That they’d rather be distracted by the artificial world because facing ourselves can be challenging? And what about those who do not notice garbage lying around? Or toss their trash without a care of where it goes? Or those who will walk by without picking it up because “it’s not theirs”? Is this a clear reflection of those who are not willing to look at their own “garbage” and do the work of cleaning up their inner world?

When we see Nature, we see ourselves. Our outer world will always reflect what is happening within our inner world, and perhaps this is why our oceans have become so polluted with plastic, and our forests so depleted; they represent all that we throw away, and all we do not wish to face. Nature is our mirror, reflecting our most inner selves, and our lives, back to us. Its reflection contains lessons, advice, and insights to help us along our journey. While sometimes we may not like what we see, Nature is always here to help us, and anything we don’t like is simply there for the good of our own growth. Nature is always working with the highest and best of intentions.

My greatest wish for my children is that they remain child-like in their vision of the world, and for the world. In this way, they will always see the beauty in everyone and in everything. They will see the goodness that resides in all of us. I do not wish for them to be naive, or childish, but simply not blind to the magic of themselves and Nature; to remember that Nature is always interacting and communicating with us; to not only see, but feel. Because when we truly see and feel Nature, we embody our inner child, and our place a children of the Earth, and this is when we experience the depths of the joy that is life here on Earth.

When a child sees a big tree with outstretched limbs, they don’t quibble over whether or not they should try to climb it. They feel the invitation from the tree and they accept with equally open arms. I still climb trees, and there is really no feeling quite like the feeling you have when sitting up within the loving embrace of a wise old tree. I truly feel as though I have entered another world. The chaotic world we have created is left behind, and within the rustling leaves and the dappled sunlight, I find truth. I breathe with the tree, share my energy, and know that life according to Nature is beautiful and perfect. There are no complications, no schedules, no “shoulds and coulds”, just rhythms and growth and balance.

My husband and I were hanging out with our kids one night in their tree fort, and I climbed up higher into the tree and sat peacefully watching the sunset, cradled within the branches. He looked up at me and said, “When I see you like this, I no longer see a mom, a farmer, or even a grown woman. All I see is a happy girl in a tree.”

I replied, “That’s probably the coolest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

May we all never grow too old to climb a tree.

I hope that you have found this article helpful! I would love to hear from you via my website www.jessieklassen.com. While you’re there, feel free to sign up for my free weeklyish newsletter where I share my lessons and experiences from living a life close to Nature.

About the author:

Jessie Klassen is a writer, farmer, and the mother of 3 sensitive children. She is also a Reiki Master and empath herself, who is committed to raising her children in an accepting and spiritually-connected environment, grounded in Nature. Jessie is inspired to “share the words that Nature wants to have heard”, and through her work, helps others connect with the magic of Nature and rediscover the magic of their own lives.

Jessie recently released her first children’s book, “The Sapling”. It is the story of a little sapling who with the help of a wise old tree, overcomes her fears of growing big and becomes the tree she is meant to be!

You can connect with Jessie at jessieklassen.com, follow her on Facebook, or contact Jessie via email here.

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