Behold, the Wind!

I’m sitting here typing cross-legged with my socked feet tucked under me for warmth, sweater on, and a steaming cup of coffee on the table beside me. The sky outside is pure white, unsure of whether it wants to release rain, and the cold wind is making the delicate purple and white pansies in my window box shiver like Chihuahuas. Sure feels more like a football-and-chili Sunday in November than it does June 12 …

It’s reminding me of all the wonders there are to behold in nature, though. From large-scale phenomena, like these wild weather systems, to smaller mysteries like what determines the color of a pansy. There are far more marvels in the natural world than we could ever experience or ponder in single a lifetime, and certainly more than I could explain to my children while they’re young.

Yet some elements in nature are so significant to our lives and in our world that they beg for immediate and constant exploration, discussion and experimentation; some so varied, far-reaching, and interconnected that to not investigate the fundamental value of the thing, would be like trying to run having never learned to walk. Such elements are thematic to the human experience. And my favorite of these elements has got to be wind.

Wind is ever-present, and our connections to it are many. Wind is an invisible, powerful force. Wind is weather. It can be friend or foe. Wind can alert our fight-or-flight instinct, or soothe us—all with the same unseen strength it uses to help carry a flock of migrating birds hundreds of miles over land and sea.

We know its power on a grand scale when dangerous tornados bring great tragedy, and we subtly register the calming effect of its sound through the trees. We associate wind with memories and feelings. It's a character, a symbol, and an emotion. Wind can be universal and it can also be personal. In fact, maybe we should start typing it with a capital W, because it’s truly a prime example of how we interact and ultimately connect with nature.

That’s why this week, Henry, Sadie and I will be honoring the Wind with WIND WEEK. We’ll read stories and poems about Wind. We’ll talk about Wind—what it is and how we interact with it. We’ll see, hear and feel Wind. And, most importantly, we’ll be playing with Wind. Of course, I'll be reporting here with some useful ideas and anecdotes, peppered with as many Wind-related puns and clichés as possible, which should be a breeze.

For now, I’m going to refill my coffee cup and play a little Seals & Croft to get me through this unexpectedly chilly June afternoon … “Summer breeze, makes me feel fine ...”