A Few Moments to Look

We had two first-time backpackers on our trip earlier this month: my niece and my goddaughter. Most of their equipment was carried by their dads, but still, I was impressed at their willingness to spend three days in the wilderness, and their ability to go on some rather long hikes without complaining.

I'm not sure what they're looking at in this picture. Probably the same stuff I spent time looking at, when I wasn't taking pictures. It's funny, but if you tell a kid to take a few minutes to see what they can see in a pond, a meadow, a forest, they'll look at you like you're crazy. Jokes about "watching the grass grow" may come to mind. And yet, I always find that my day is better if I can spend a few minutes just watching the ripples lap against the shore, or leaves flutter in the breeze, or sunlight reflecting off the wings of bugs.

It's not really something you can explain to someone. They have to discover it for themselves.