I’m trying to get back to some simpler things. Trying to instill a larger sense of connection to the natural world. We do that already, observing birds, taking hikes, collecting acorns or twigs, searching for deer in our back woods.  But I want Action Boy to have a sense of responsibility for that natural world as well as an appreciation. We already keep feeders out for birds all year long, and will toss breads and old fruit to squirrels and whatever else might care to partake. But this year we read a wonderful story about a family whose Christmas tree is a pine in the woods that they decorate with fruit and nuts and popcorn, and the boy falls asleep dreaming of all the animals that might come to their Christmas feast gift.

We don’t have a perfect pine in our woods, but we do have plenty of saplings, and bare branches and animals who call the woods their home. So we spent an afternoon rolling popcorn in peanut butter and honey, and cutting apples in half. And on a truly frigid afternoon, we tromped out to the woods to leave our offerings.

Within two days they were all gone. Squirrels, I suspect. But I also suspect we’ll do it again. When snow is on the ground and the deer and the raccoon and the birds…and the squirrels…are even more needful. And if we’re lucky, we’ll witness the dinner gathering. If not, that’s okay too. Because this is really about nature, caring, giving — and not just at this time of year, but all year long.