Feeling tiny in a forest of giants

We learn so much in life when we see things first hand. As fate would have it, what we see has to fit into our perception of reality for us to comprehend those experiences. The older I get the more I realize that our experiences never fully blend together, like a milkshake, rather our experiences bind together like the threads of a quilt. I have always recommended, periodically taking a step back and checking out your life, as objectively as is possible. Take a moment to admire your life "quilt", and in that process you might find that a few added colors or textures might make your tapestry even better. 
   Perspective matters in all things and feeling tiny in a forest of giants was a great place for us to start. We entered the Redwood National Forest knowing it would be a perfect retreat for us to think about our future and determine how we fit into those images. We found that forests can offer the serenity and peace needed to make clear decisions when they are needed most. Thankfully, while in the redwoods, we were able to narrow our options of a new home down to a few viable choices, and as a father and husband I'm okay with that.
   Our daughters initially gazed up and down the Goliath redwood trunks with wide open eyes, and they kept saying that the trees seemed so tall. After a couple hours, though, my daughters started commenting about how tiny they felt. The only thing that changed was their perspective and with it, their world grew bigger and their presence within it, smaller. Don't get me wrong, we are not trying to make our kids feel small. In parenting there is a fine line of encouraging uniqueness without making the child feel spoiled. Reality is, sometimes feeling tiny is awesome especially when you realize that you, alone, cannot carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.
   People who connect the best with others don't see themselves as bigger or grander, but equals. Any grandma making a Sunday meal has seen and heard it all. Yet, as they stir their sauces, with their secret ingredients, they're able to offer comfort and wisdom to anyone wishing to listen. A grandma's beauty lies in her ability to relate, not judge, and that is the essence of feeling equal.
   Perspective is a wonderful thing to show your children instead of telling them about it. They'll understand so much more if they hand a plate of food to a homeless person, instead of hearing about feeding the homeless. When kids see grand canyons or grand trees or grand love they instinctively know what it is. In fact, a child's imagination can probably see more natural beauty than we adults ever can. After all, most adults usually have one eye on the attraction and one eye on their watches to avoid traffic or other responsibilities. Children usually experience new things wholly, and with a magical degree of openness, and honesty. Trust a child's instincts when it comes to fun and not yours. You'll all be the better for it.
 

Zoe loves trees so much and it was a pleasure to show her this forest.

Real life playgrounds are better than man-made ones.

Finding ourselves in the forest was a wonderful experience.

Mamma leaning against the tree trying to make reservations for our next RV park.

Sierra counted the rings of this fallen tree that was cut to clear a path and she lost count. 

We found 2 elusive banana slugs on our hike.

How often can you drive through a tree?

Our free-spirited Sierra having fun.

The scale of the trees is hard to show without something to compare them to.

Even the fallen trees start regrowing.

Saplings remove what nutrients they can from the decaying plant matter to grow anew.

My photographer daughter taking pictures of wild elk.

The wild elk eventually came within 20 feet of us.

Standing on a fallen behemoth.

Tree-huggers that hug together stay together.