Team D's Number One Coping Strategy

Brain cancer is...

 ...taking a twist today on Team D's most often mentioned coping strategy.

Team D's number one coping strategy is:  Nature! Wow!

You know that nature has been absolutely central to our well being in this GBM journey.  Darrell started taking walks in pretty places just two weeks after his diagnosis.  (Here's the 2/23/16 post.) 

And as you know, we've sought out beautiful places near and far, and we've commemorated his diagnosis each year with progressively longer walks in parks.  Just because I love the picture, here's our first Super Bowl Stroll (then called Ultra Walk, in its 2/5/17 post).

The healing that we have found in nature is not unique, we know, but we were surprised by just how much you all are benefiting from it too right now. Staying connected with the earth and its beauty?  Number One on the Team D coping strategy list!

Here's Curt's take:

"I have to take time to be outside. I sit on the patio, with the fire pit roaring. We take [safe] walks in the neighborhood.  I just need to move around and enjoy the beauty of the day. I planted giant sunflowers. I looked at the dirt. Nothing yet."

Speaking of planting things:  Ruth has been planting a whole garden.  Look at the great idea she gave us, above:  Growing green onions!  Great twist on our love of nature:  Bring nature indoors!

Can't get out and about right now?  Never fear! Our daughter Summer, the counselor (above), has a specialty in nature therapy.  She cites studies that find that even looking out a window or at a picture of nature (really!) reduces people's stress levels and increases their good emotions. To that end, here's a set of virtual travels to beautiful places from Smithsonian, via Chris.

Here's to nature!  And here's to Curt's potential sunflowers!

Today's Bloom

Throwback Thursday:  LuAnn's water lily, circa 2017 in this nature post.