I visited a couple other parks in the last couple weeks other than the usual Monocacy Park. Bethlehem’s Rose Garden and the old industrial quarter near downtown Bethlehem, and of course, I stopped by Minsi Lake while visitng my mom. A walk is a great way to clear your head and connect with God, nature, the Universe, something bigger than yourself.

We all love to get out when it’s bright, sunny and warm and indeed, the colors are most vibrant then, but the human soul has many facets and moods and nature can help us feel them and process them. Observing the world around us helps put things in perspective. We’re all just specks in a vast world and our place and time in it are inconceivably small and fleeting. You have to keep moving through life, but find those little pauses to reflect when and where you can.

This post’s original photographs and content by Mark T. Ritchey. Do not reproduce without permission.