Who Is
The Fragrant Muse?

My photo
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States
I'm a Creative Soul and Happy Person. I have a passion for my Family, Aromatics, Fairy Gardens, Pugs, SoulCollage, Miniature Worlds, Visual Journals.

Copyrights

All contents Property and Copyright(c) of Liz Fulcher/The Fragrant Muse.
All rights reserved.
Please don't use my written word, photography or art without my permission.
Thank you.

BlogCatalog

Personal Development Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Therapy of Throwing Stones



My husband and I have always felt that regular contact with our natural environment is essential to emotional health, and as our boys were growing up we made a concerted effort to take them camping in our tipi and exposing them to the outside world.   Now we are doing the same with our grandson, the Bean. 

Because the Bean lives in a city, he doesn't receive the powerful effect of nature on a regular basis, so whenever he stays with us - about two weekends each month - we make at least one play date with Mother Nature.

In his important book The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv explains the crucial role nature plays in the lives of children.    He says:  The outdoors is as essential to a child's health and well being as good nutrition and plenty of sleep.   Every parent has likely noticed the powerful effect of nature on children: an anxious child will relax and forget her worries as she rolls in the grass; sibling arguments -- fought so bitterly in the car -- quickly dissipate on a windy beach; and the darkest mood of a teenager can be washed away by a plunge in the lake.


This is true for adults as well which was affirmed recently when we introduced the Bean to the Susquehanna River which runs alongside our town.


 For the Bean, throwing rocks is as natural as breathing.  It must be a boy thing.
What do you think was the first thing he did at the river?


 

At first he was tentative.
  Throwing rocks at home usually results in being told to stop.

Then he got more confident


and thought it was hilarious when his stones hit the water


There was no stopping him after that.
He started tossing bigger stones


and watched with fascination at the concentric rings that formed





He began to use his whole body when throwing
and soon discovered he could make the stones go farther

 

I couldn't let him have all the fun, so I had to try


 
 Then my husband and I began a game.
One of us would throw a stone and the other would photograph it
the minute it hit the water.  It wasn't so easy.

In this picture I threw a hunk of wood.






Not bad.
Now here's my photographic attempt of my husband's rock throwing.




I wanted to throw the Bean in,  but hubby said no.

Being in nature is good for the soul,
but throwing stones in nature is even better.

 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your last picture is amazing. I LOVE it :0)

Deb said...

Oh I got a good laugh at the photo of you 'almost' throwing the Bean in! Too Great..It's the simple things isn't it, that bring us soooo much joy.

Deb said...

We sent Gab to a Waldorf pre-school. The philosophy was very nature based. I am eternally grateful for what we all learned there. Girlie will still go for long walks on Sundays to 'find some nature'.

Delena said...

Our grandchldren love coming to our place in the forest, the river is a block away. They have so many memories already and one of my granddaughters always says to me, "Grandma I love coming here". They camp for the weekend in their own trailers and all though we are altogether they still have their individual times. It is wonderful.
I love your pictures and your post.

rxBambi said...

I love this post! I don't see any struggle at all. The photos are amazing. I love the shots of hubbys rock going in, and how you can clearly see the reflection. Beautiful!!

An Open Heart said...

Love this post....all of it, but, my favorite part is the actual photography.....the reflections in the water really showcased Mother Nature...rock tossing aside!


S

Janet said...

adorable!

julochka said...

i love it, all of it. it makes me want to go throw some rocks in the creek. right now. :-)

Jeanne Frances Klaver said...

This post reminds me of the time we took our grandson (a self-proclaimed Pennsylvania "country" boy) to NYC. He held his nose while we walked Times Square. A pigeon walked beside him. He paused, "Hey grandma, they DO have wildlife in the city!" he exclaimed. When we crossed the Commodore Barry Bridge and rolled into Chadds Ford, PA he opened the car windows and said, "Smell that good old Pennsylvania country air!" You're helping create memories for Bean's lifetime. Good for you!

Unknown said...

i love that we live in a place so beautiful and that nature is available right out the back door! Your grandson is lucky to have you to share it with him.

NJ Pigno said...

What a beautiful post. What a lucky boy your grandson is.