A small Earth Day invitation

I hope this finds you in a moment of calm, or at least a moment where you can choose something a little more calming next.

Today is Earth Day.

When I was a kid, I used to think of it as the Earth’s birthday. While not *technically* accurate, I still love the spirit of it. A day to step outside, look around, and really take in the beauty of being alive on this planet.

Right now, for me, that looks like:
🌿 The magnolia tree dropping crisp leaves onto my car,
🌿 The hydrangea bush just outside my window turning green again,
🌿 Walks through the park near my house surrounded by fragrant, flowering trees,
🌿 And bright peonies and poppies stretching towards the sun at the botanical garden.

A few weeks ago, I started a pregnancy loss hiking grief group here in Athens as part of E-Motion’s nationwide movement communities, which support people who are grieving.

We walk the same trail every Wednesday. There’s a pond along the path, and week by week, we’ve watched it transform from muddy and still to dotted with lily pads. Yellow wildflowers have started to appear along the trail.

Nature is quietly doing what it does. Changing, growing, holding.

Side by side on the trail, instead of face to face in a room, the women share their stories of loss. There’s space to pause, to cry, to breathe. Somehow, being outside makes it all feel a little more possible to carry.

It’s as if the trees, the water, and the movement of the air can hold some of what feels too heavy to hold alone.

And in the midst of our busy, noisy, "buy this! buy this!", notification-filled lives, the iris still buds. Then blooms.

We don’t have to do anything extraordinary to witness it. Just pay attention. (Plus, it's free!!)

So today, a gentle invitation:

• What’s growing near you?

• What do you notice when you slow down, even just a little?

• What if, for a few minutes, you stepped outside with no being productive or multitasking, just being?

Not everything has to be improved or achieved.

Sometimes, a walk is enough.

Wishing you moments in nature that fill you up,

Stacy

PS. If you’re craving a deeper reset in nature with coaching, connection, and adventure, I’m co-leading a Courage Quest women's retreat in October in Moab, Utah. You can learn more and apply here.

PPS. Here are some pics I took at the local botanical garden this afternoon... enjoy!