Hello and welcome to five minutes in nature with me Liz Scott.
Today,
As you find me every day in January,
I'm outside soaking up the wisdom of nature.
And today I've come to the city centre of Exeter.
I'm actually helping to look after my elderly mother and every morning when I wake up in my old bed I come down to the river,
The River Ex,
Which is a river that rises on Exmoor and then takes its journey all the way through down to Exmouth.
And it comes through Exeter and so the river gives its name to many parts and many villages and towns along its route.
And I'm actually in Exeter now so the river is quite broad.
I'm walking along a concrete path beside it.
It's strewn with twigs and mud and muck which shows me that the river has very recently been very high and has come up over the path but now it is back flowing,
Making its way down towards Exeter Quay and then out towards Exmouth.
And it's a very peaceful time of day.
A couple of swans gliding on the river on the other bank and if I turn left I can see the weir.
You might be able to just hear the noise of the water rushing and gushing over the weir behind me and you'll probably hear there's a cyclist just gone by and a jogger as well.
This is a well-used track,
A nice peaceful track for people to come get away from cars and just walk beside the river.
And you can probably also hear the seagulls above my head.
Yes,
The sea isn't far away and Exeter is a place they seem to come to and gravitate towards as well.
And as I've been out walking today I think one of the things that is very present,
And it's probably because I'm looking after my mother,
Is really the fragility of life and how life goes so quickly.
And I don't mean this in a very negative way.
What I mean is that life seems,
When we're young,
To go on forever but the truth of it is that life comes and it goes so quickly.
My mother has been diagnosed with dementia and I can see the quite rapid cognitive decline in her and I lost my dad to dementia last year so I'm used to this disease and seeing what it's like to live alongside someone who has it.
And I think one of the things which is a gift,
Because there is always a gift I find in some of these really upsetting and sad moments in life,
One of the gifts is that I really am drawn to treasure the connection I have with my mother,
Particularly now as she can still remember and recall it.
So there's something for me about the reminder of connecting with people,
Connecting with those I love and having time with them.
Now I'm with my mother I'm helping her,
I'm giving her a bit of practical support as well so being with her and connecting with her is something that I'm just doing at the moment.
And yet it goes far beyond my mother,
It goes to so many other people and as I'm walking along this path today I'm just reflecting on the people in my life that are truly special,
That I truly love and I want to connect with and I want to have time for.
And my request is that you reflect on this for you too.
Who in your life is precious to you?
Who in your life are you being drawn to give time and connection to?
And I don't mean in a fleeting let's go out for a meal or let's go out for a treat kind of way.
I mean in that settled way where we allow our minds to settle and our lives to slow down and to just be present with someone and to have that so that it is part of our lives.
Certainly for me that's what I'm reflecting on as I walk along the river here in Exeter today.
So my reflection today and my request is that you reflect on this is who in your life are you being drawn to give your time,
Your presence,
Connection to?
Who is that?
And just allow that to seep in and see what answers emerge for you.
