When Connection Happens

I took my mom to a botanical garden last month. I didn't expect it to lead to one of the deeper conversations we've had in quite a while.

Courtesy of RSBG website

We went to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way. It's 24 acres with 850 species of rhododendrons, along with an incredible collection of trees and other plants.

For a couple of hours, we just wandered. We looked closely at the different plants. The shapes and colors of their leaves, and the things that made each one unique. We breathed in the air and really took in what was around us. There wasn't any agenda. We were just enjoying the garden and experiencing it together.

The interesting part came afterward.

On the drive home, my mom and I started talking about some of the challenges we're each going through.

I kept thinking about our time at the garden and how connected I felt to my mom afterward. We'd spent a couple of hours sharing something beautiful together, and then found ourselves opening up about our lives.

It made me want to do more of that. Not just spend more time in nature, but share those experiences with people I care about.

So here's one small step I'm going to take. Next week, I'm going to schedule a walk in nature with a friend, take the time to notice what's around us together, and see what that does to our conversation.

What's one small way you could bring more nature into the time you spend with someone you care about?