Reverence for Ourselves and Nature

The word nature is derived from the Latin word "natura" which means essential qualities or innate disposition. A human being's nature is the way he is, a sum total of how he thinks, feels, acts and reacts; his characteristics, traits, and qualities; as well as the complexity of his emotional and intellectual attributes. We may hear that "it is just human nature" for them to be kind.  The word nature also means the physical world we live in which is made up of essential things like plants, animals, landscapes, and what is intrinsic to them.  Nature is also made up of rocks, forests, oceans, and beaches. Broadly speaking it is everything that exists anywhere including not only the earth, but the universe (sky, moon, and stars).  In its purest form nature develops of its own accord and is not brought into being by human intervention. It just "exists." Many people believe we should align ourselves with nature, meaning that we can  learn from nature's steady and calm pace, and perhaps even reach of state of not so much doing, but just "being." John Burroughs, American naturalist and essayist had this to say, "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." For example, if we want to be serene we can listen to, and watch, the birds instead of always hurrying through our days, or perhaps we can make shapes out of clouds. We can restore our sense of balance by slowing down and appreciating the sights and rhythms of the natural world. It is  important to savor the tiny, simple, beautiful moments in our lives. Mary Oliver is a popular living American poet whose poem "Wild Geese' asks us to "...tell (her) about despair (ours), and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air are heading home again. Wherever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things."