Sunday 6 May 2012

The Origin...

     Like many, most of my childhood was spend outdoors.  My siblings, I and our friends would spend countless hours outside creating games, inventing characters, climbing trees, running through acres of bush and naturally discovering the sting of the stinging needle or wasp and the scratch of the blackberry bush. Although not always pleasant, they were fond memories indeed and I learned to love the natural places around my home.
 
     Recently, I attended a session with Sandra Friedman, BSW, MA on "Promoting and Enhancing Mental Health Wellness" in children.  One of the critical factors in helping children (and others for that matter), maintain health and wellness is to encourage a healthy relationship with nature.  The following words were quoted:

                                      The old Lakota were wise,
                      They knew that a child's heart away from Nature
                     soon hardened, that a lack of respect for living things
                          soon led to a lack of respect for humans, too...
                                so they kept their children close to
                                      Nature's softening influence.

This is where I will start ...