This Valentine's Day, Head Out in Nature

When life feels chaotic, sometimes the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the simple act of stepping outside. This Valentine's Day, I invite you to trade the shopping mall for a trail, the checkout line for a quiet moment under the trees.

The illustration you see here is one of my favorites by Cait Irwin. There's something deeply moving about the bond between a mother chickadee and her chick, a tender reminder that love shows up in nature's smallest, most intimate moments. This beautiful relationship inspired us to choose the chickadee as the heart of our book, DeeDee's Year of Adventures, which follows a chickadee from birth through the seasons in Maine's Acadia National Park. It feels fitting that this spirited little bird is Maine's state bird.

This week, instead of reaching for chocolates or flowers, consider giving yourself something more nourishing: a walk in nature. Listen to the birdsong, breathe in the crisp air, feel the earth beneath your feet. Even thirty minutes outside can quiet the noise, ease the tension, and remind you that peace, joy, and love are always available, perhaps with snowflakes or raindrops hitting your cheeks, the call of a magpie, a chickadee or a robin about ready to start building a nest. We've made it through the toughest winter months, and spring is around the corner. 

Nature offers hope. And sometimes, that's exactly what we need to find a moment of joy, and peace mixed with a little bit of love.