I woke up to the familiar sound of a squirrel chirping about in the neighbors tree. At first, I was frustrated. After all, it was 7 A.M., and all I wanted was five more minutes of sleep. I made myself an iced chai latte and decided to talk in the morning sun. One of my many safe places as an off campus student is my beautiful backyard. It can be hard to find a nice, quiet place to observe my surroundings and start the day. I walked towards the bench where me and my friends have hosted some of our best smore sessions. I have created so many memories and prepared to carry more as I looked up at the sky. The sun, the clouds even, looked so astonishing in the early morning. After another long and harsh winter, I began to ponder to myself: when was the last time I came outside and just looked at the sky?
As a kid, I loved to sit on the grass with my mom and watch the clouds pass us by. Together, we would point out the different shapes of the clouds, create short stories with them and make personal connections. I realized how much I missed this, and how much I missed sharing this with somebody. As I sat on the bench, I watched as the birds fluttered towards each other, their chirps as distinguishable as the squirrel who woke me from my slumber. I never realized the diverse amount of birds within my area. I occasionally see the most beautiful Northern Cardinal bird, who resides in a small tree right by my driveway. Although it is small, it is quite loud, making sure that its presence is known. Yet, it is always hiding in a place where I cannot seem to find it, no matter how hard I try.
Every morning on my way to class, I seem to encounter an American Robin. They are naturally friendly birds and are attracted to areas that are highly populated with people. Different from squirrels, who would rather risk getting hit by a car, the American Robins are undaunted by my presence. If I am in no rush, I like to sit and watch them. Never making alarming noises, they are simply curious animals. I occasionally find one wavering around Bailey on the 1st floor. They love to sit by the window. Sometimes I find myself staring, I wonder if they can sense my presence and curiosity from the classroom. The more I see them, the more confident I am in my day.
I realized I wasn’t getting as much as I would have liked just looking towards my house, so I turned around. There is a large land of grass behind the house, shared by many in the neighborhood. I walked a little further and sat on the grass, ignoring how badly it made me itch. I watched birds chirp amongst each other in a tree as two squirrels raced each other to the top of a tree. Two stray cats wandered into the large, unbothered area. Both taking glances at me, unaware of whether I would try to gather their attention or not. They soon scattered away when a flock of deer came into the scene. They were beautiful and so gracefully silent. I hadn’t even realized they were there until I stopped focusing on the stray cats.
Completely unfazed by the neighborhood clatter of lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and minor maintenance, they were fully enthralled by their environment. Looking at them from afar made me admire their bond. Before I could snap a picture of them, they galloped away.
Before I went inside, I took one last look at the clouds. I pointed out a few in my head, making small comments to myself about their shape, figuring out which ones my mom would have liked the best. I decided I wanted to do this again in the future. I want to experience this nostalgic feeling again, embrace the love and connection with my own family. When I go home, I’ll be sure to do this again!