Weekend at a Big Texas Ranch

I have been producing and hosting Living Smart shows since October 2005. Thanks to my wonderful guests, I have benefitted from "living smart tips" that have changed my life.
Some of the most important lessons I have learned I already knew, many I didn't, others were confirmed. For instance, why is it so important to spend time in nature. Why are good, stable and solid relationships more important for our well being than anything else. What is it about animals that enhances our lives? Why is eating a healthy balanced meal important for our mental and spiritual health? Why simple walking and hiking may be the best and cheapest excercise to do. Why do we need to save money and why the most wonderful things in life sometimes cost you nothing, such as watching a hummingbird at work, or seeing flowers bloom, or hearing the sound of water or simply listening or laughing with friends.
This past weekend I experienced all of it. Courtesy of a generous family, I spent three days at a wonderful 11,000 acres Texas ranch. Even though I am a Texan, (born at the Texas Medical center) and a big fan of the hill country, ( I have camped in most of the main state parks in Texas
I had never been to a real ranch.
We were seven women with different careers, interests, marital status, religions, etc. For three days, we hiked, laughed, even cried, talked about our problems and also shared our joys. We learned that no matter how busy you are, there is always time to share a laugh, a walk in the hill country will do wonders for your soul, a swim in a lake feels quite different than a chlorinated pool, animals that roam freely seem to enjoy life more and people who live surrouned by nature, seem less pretentious, complicated and a lot kinder.
For me, nature is the great healer. I miss camping, I used to do it more often but those three days reminded me how much nature is part of me and the price I pay for ignoring it.
I also miss sitting out on the porch with a wonderful view of the hills and the river, talking to my friends and playing my guitar.
For all of that I am grateful to the people who made this possible for me and to the friends who shared what I call the special moments, "the diamonds" of our lives that we only wear a few times because they are just too precious. Thank you creator for this gift, thank you friends for sharing and thank you nature for not getting mad at me for abusing you and allowing me to breathe you, smell and touch you with all my senses. What a wonderful gift you are!