Felt like a little kid this morning. After completing my workout session, I stopped to explore every flower that crossed my path. I love nature, but I am not going to lie, I hate bugs. Certain bugs freak me out, especially those that can fly. (I don’t mind staring at little white fuzzy worms or a chill lizard/gecko, which is exactly what happened this morning.)

I noticed so much I hadn’t noticed before. First of all, I took a different path, and on that path, I ended up right next to the bayou. I went over a wooden bridge and stopped to observe the muddy water running underneath it. I noticed a small hidden pond, in the middle of so many large oak trees.

This tiny pond took me back to my childhood days when my cousins and I would sneak to the other side of the fence and explore the “woods”. And yes, against our parents’ will. Our parents didn’t like the idea of exploring because I guess they were afraid of snakes biting us. However, fear didn’t phase us though. We would do it anyway. We would hang out by a small pond and have the best time laughing our heads off. (I think someone has a photo of this location somewhere in their files.) I also came across massive trees filled with berry-like fruit (we grew up calling them moras). This was the exact same tree my grandma (aka wela) had in her backyard! I LOVED picking and eating those delicious moras when springtime came around. Ah – fond memories.

All of these memories made me realize something…it made me wonder, what else am I forgetting? What other memories are dug deep into my memory? 

Is this what it’ll take to recall some of the best memories from my childhood? Walking around the park and do things I would do as a kid? Had I not taken the time to explore, look at every flower, stare at the pond, observe the water, would I have ever remembered those precious childhood memories? It’s honestly kind of scary to me. I don’t know why…perhaps I am afraid of losing my memory forever.

Nonetheless, it was nice to stop and observe the world. This morning definitely inspired me to continue to stay curious. Who cares what people think, stop worrying what others might say. I loved feeling like a kid again.