By Liz Neroni, Naturalist
With the current situation, I find myself painting. Walls aren’t my favorite canvas or past time, but I’m getting something off my to do list. It has also given me time to think. Which normally I don’t get the chance to do much of this time of year. Being a naturalist, I’m extremely busy in the spring. Prepping for summer, interacting with visitors as numbers increase with the good weather, field trips, outreach and public programs, animal care, facility and garden maintenance, organizing displays, and more! It’s a ride you get on the at beginning of March and have no control over until mid-June when it slows down just enough to tuck and roll into the summer season.
This year is different. The center is closed, programs cancelled, and I find myself discombobulated not being on ‘the ride.’ Instead, I’m painting and thinking. I have painted this particular room 3 times in the past 5 years. It seems ridiculous and believe me that was my first reaction to this thought. Yet, I recognized that each time I had painted this room it was for a reason. Whether I was going through something good or bad, I decided to make a change. I slapped on a fresh coat of paint to adjust my surroundings, or even help my mindset.
Even though we find ourselves in this abnormal situation, like paint, we just need to find our new shade. Search for the good in the situation and even pause a second to learn something new. We can tackle the days ahead – one brush stroke at a time.
