[Seek] Connection

My middle child, Austen, and their girlfriend, Sophia, have been going out for two years now. Days before their anniversary, Sophia's mom and I worked out how to get the two of them together in spite of this quarantine situation. It's been a tough seven weeks for the two of them. 

We decided to meet at a state park near Sophia's house. We agreed on extremely limited contact and wearing masks and hand sanitizer. My youngest, Alia, accompanied us, as she wanted to see Sophia as well and to get out of the house for a while.

As Austen and Sophia laid a blanket on the ground to sit on, exchanged gifts, and started a game of  Unstable Unicorns, Alia and I went on a short hike, stopping to take tons of photos along the way. We had a wonderful time taking the time to pause and watch bumble bees and honey bees flit amongst blooms; appreciating the beauty of dried out mushrooms on a log; and looking at things in new and different ways. 

In this time of isolation, the blessings of getting out of the house and into the beauty of nature were amplified exponentially. Having the time and ability to view the world around us from another perspective was refreshing. 

Once again being connected with nature and with other people (in a safe manner) provided just what all of us needed.