I had forgotten how important my locker was when I was in school.  I never went to preschool, but apparently they have their own “cubbies.”  It has their names, holds their clogs for when they garden, their precious art work, party invitations, goodies during the holidays, their lunches, water bottles, backpacks, sweaters, nap mats, etc.  I notice my little girl always has a special rock, leaf or twig in hers each day along with her discarded hair bow.  (Note the bow in her hand in this picture.)  Sometimes I am the lucky recipient of one of her finds; sometimes she pronounces it’s for her collection.  I have come to look forward to seeing what treasure she has unearthed each day.  Today she excitedly pressed three acorns in my hand — one for me, one for her, and one for Daddy.  Another time a boy gave her a rock because he knew she loved them.  Her teachers have been very patient about letting her gather her gems and place them carefully in her cubby.  We have always taken walks as a family and tend to stop when we find something interesting.  She has inherited her love of nature from both sides.  My mother adored flowers and birds; my father loved all wildlife and trees.  They instilled in me a passion and respect for nature from as far back as I can remember.  When my husband was a little boy he used his money to buy rock collections from the places they traveled.  His maternal grandfather studied geology and loved minerals.  We marvel at the sunset, moon, and stars each night whether we’re outside or just looking up through my car’s panoramic sunroof.  Mother Nature surrounds us.  Her voice is the wind that rustles the tree branches and her reflection is the ripples of the water in the lake.  Her tranquility is the sight of birds in flight and her palette is the color of riotous wildflowers in bloom.  Her scent is of freshly fallen rain; her mysteries the dampness of the earth.  Her caress is the warmth of the sun; her companions, the wildlife — from frequently seen squirrels and rarely seen bunnies, to possums and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, and armadillos and turtles.  We have counted dragonflies and listened to cicadas; held doodle bugs and June bugs in our palms; and we always say hello to the anoles and the geckos.  Because of my little cub I have slowed down to watch a spider weave her beautiful web and watch a colony of ants march laboriously by.

“Nature will bear the closest inspection.  She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” ~ American Essayist Henry David Thoreau

It’s funny; we grow up and forget about the little things.  Things that are not so little when you’re little.  And things that should be big when you’re big.