Growing up, I was lucky to have two sets of grandparents that I truly loved and enjoyed spending time with. Frequently, the time spent together involved plants, animals, or some appreciation of the natural world. Losing both of my grandpas has left a large hole in my life, one that may never be quite full again. The grief wanes but doesn’t entirely disappear. The time I spent with both of them, joining them on their adventures or enjoying the beauty of life they shared through their cameras, imprinted such a love of nature and everything living on me, that they don’t truly feel gone.

Nature Heals

When faced with loss, our very human responses range from shock and anger to profound sadness and enduring despair. While mourning can plunge us into prolonged grief and hopelessness, the natural world offers a pathway towards finding peace and inner tranquility. Studies continue to reveal how time in nature can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones levels and anxiety, and boost self-esteem and mood.

There are many ways Nature is helping me to heal and process loss, and below are 3 of my favorites:

1. Nature connects us with our senses, and our senses are tied to our memories.

   I feel like my grandpas are always with me somehow in the palm trees I transplanted from one grandpa’s yard, or the way I take photos of hummingbirds visiting our honeysuckle like the ones my other grandpa would see at their mountain home. For me, the visuals of nature’s beauty keep those memories close. Connect with nature in your own way. Grow flowers you think smell lovely, or ones in your favorite color. Plant a fruit tree you remember from childhood. Cut a few specimens from the garden for a bouquet you can enjoy indoors.

2. Nature is relaxing.

   When I garden, I can somehow both think about the big picture of life and simultaneously focus on the beauty of a flower here and now. My husband and I compost everything. The neighbors’ yard waste? The jar in the depths of the fridge we forgot about that now has a layer of mold? Compost! That compost goes on to fuel new beautiful growth all over the garden. In this way, we turn what was just the veggie scraps from cooking dinner into a flower for a bee, a new fruit on the tree, food for a worm in the soil, or the bird that eats the worm. With this mindset, gardening doesn’t feel like a chore, but a magical way of growing life right outside my door. In the garden, I learn to be relaxed in the present while appreciating the whole cycle of life.

3. Nature builds community.

   Healing and processing grief takes support. Having people around, especially to share in a patient and forward-looking task like growing plants, is a hopeful way to move forward while still joyfully remembering the past. When I plant a seed, I am excited to watch it grow. When I look at a tree, I appreciate its amazing past as well as its present existence. Sharing both those joys with others makes it all the better.

Nature’s Enduring Lesson

The more I garden, the more I become amazed that we are all part of one life force harvesting energy from the sun, the atoms of this world moving and shifting in one great cloud of life. My grandpas live on through the habits and interests they instilled in me, and they live on through life on this planet - in the molecules of the seemingly infinite universe. When I enjoy a sweet mulberry off of our tree, I remember my maternal grandpa harvesting bags full from their tree. Now, when we walk with my grandma at a favorite botanical garden, it’s like my paternal grandpa is still with us amongst the great palm trees he loved so much.

How can you cultivate a deeper connection with nature? Consider activities that hold significant meaning for you. This might entail visiting a park after church, meditating in your yard, or spending time with loved ones in a botanical garden. Starting a garden with friends or family can also provide a profound sense of connection to the past, present, and future. As we engage with nature, we uncover the vast wonders of our beautiful planet Earth and embrace the enduring cycle of life.

Photography by Heather Martin.

Open to Hope Foundation is an online platform where people can share inspirational stories of loss and love.

Gift a Living Memorial Tree through American Forests

How are you finding comfort through nature? We invite you to comment below or send us a note.