Right In My Own Backyard

Over the past few months of this pandemic, I have developed a new appreciation for my modest backyard.  In the past, I never much considered it.  Sure, it had a swingset my four kids enjoyed while growing up, and it provided a space to cook out on occasion.  Other than that, it contained a lawn to be mowed, leaves to be raked, and mosquitoes to be swatted.  The yard was an extension of a busy household needing maintenance.

     In mid-March, quite suddenly, schools and pretty much everything else closed.  The threat here in New York was very real as we saw our rates of illness and death rise dramatically each day.  The quarantine affected everyone.  I particularly felt for people in the City, who really could not safely go anywhere and had to remain in their apartments as much as possible.  More and more, I found myself wandering into our backyard.

     While many in our area have swimming pools, trampolines, fire pits, and other amenities in their outdoor space, our yard is fairly minimalistic.  Still, it is as if I rubbed my eyes one day and woke up to its wonder for the first time.

     We have our own safe plot of earth beneath our feet.  We can lie down on it and see the sky through the leaves on our trees.  I can breathe the fresh clean air whenever I want to.  I have come to know the noisy cardinal couple who make their residence near our shed.  I spotted one of the wild Long Island rabbits scampering across the grass.

     During distance learning with my 10 year old, we took breaks in the backyard for "gym".  We had running races, played wiffle ball, and read on the swings together.  Now that it's summer, we have added the sprinkler to our play, and we may camp one night in a backyard tent.

     When it first became evident that we would be spending more time at home for the whole summer, I expressed to my husband that we had to do something to keep the mosquitoes under control.  He began to rip up the ivy on the side where they had been breeding.  Not only has that been successful so far, but we've also discovered a treasure trove of artifacts from our family history buried in there (along with many of our neighbor's lacrosse balls).  With the ivy gone, too, we planted a garden and will soon be enjoying the tomatoes and squash growing there.

     Right in my own backyard, I have found safety and privacy, as well as the sense of curiosity, exploration, and freedom that only nature can provide.  It makes me wonder...what else do I already have that I'm not yet fully appreciating?  What else are we thirsty for that we already have access to?