Please Climb.

This tree was just begging to be climbed.

It really should have had a sign that said, "Climb me."

Guy motioned to some boy he didn't know who was watching him curiously.  Guy said, "Come on up!"  The boy said, "I'm not going up there.  There are black ants in that tree."  Guy said, "I'm not afraid of black ants!"  And he isn't...I mean, Guy eats ants for crying out loud.

Earlier, as I was walking Guy over to the park restrooms, I watched as another boy, who was walking in the same direction we were with his mother, stopped abruptly and placed both hands on the deeply-grooved bark of another tree.  He seemed to be exploring it with both his hands and his eyes.  His face was so close to it.  It made me smile to see this kid taking time to really experience nature, instead of rushing by to get to tennis practice, or checking cell phones, as so many of the other adults at the park were doing.

God gave us trees.  God gave us this world.  And God gave us summer.  Hopefully, we are taking every measure to fully appreciate these gifts.