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"Queenie, just look," my 6 year old granddaughter exclaimed as she climbed a gigantic old log. "There are 3 kinds of lichen on this log." And then she jumped off to explore a field of flowers.
Oxford is, for me, a haven of many ideals. In the past couple of weeks, I have walked miles and miles with my sweet, young grands (ages 6, 4, 2 1/2 and a 4 month old baby and her mama — my daughter, Sarah), fished in ponds with pretend willow poles, stomped in muddy puddles, celebrated outdoor picnics, forged our way through rain and wind and watched their precious minds and bodies growing in front of my eyes.
As a pioneer in the home education movement, everything Clay and I did was an ideal that had not been tested. We proposed and applied the philosophy of reading the best books, fiction and non-fiction in every possible subject. Our focus on regular great discussions and discourse practiced at our dinner table every evening for years developed mental muscle and great vocabulary and a rigorous capacity to write and communicate well as well as develop convictions, a broad foundation of thinking skills. Add to that an organic focus on the beauty, love and reality of Christ morning, noon, and night in natural and consistent conversation, and our philosophy of life was born.
But another one of the areas we focussed on over years was an outdoor life. Walking and hiking miles at a time together, daily outdoor play acting out the stories we read, the science and nature we studied and collected, the glory of design and creation in sunsets and puppy dogs was building a strong body. Strong bodies support strong minds.
Today I talked with a wonderful friend, Ginny Zurich, who has a wealth of research, knowledge and understanding of an outdoor life. She is a treasure, a delight and an inspiration. Join us as we discuss many areas of this flourishing view of life. So much and more you can find in her amazing book: Until the Streetlights Come On: How a Return to Play Brightens Our Present and Prepares Kids for an Uncertain Future.
