“Hold soft, dark, crumbly soil in the sunlight and examine it closely. It should sparkle and feel moist. Hopefully, there will be earthworms and small arthropods. Its ebony shades emit a fragrance that is unlike any other scent. It has a name, petrichor or geosmin, and is said to be created by essential oils emitted by plants that are absorbed by sand and rocks. Your nose and body know it, the smell of life, and it is good. The life that created the soil was a plant, a life created by the energy of the sun. Soil is the link between the light of the sun and the gleam of an eye. This is not meant to sound poetic. It is true.”

Paul Hawken, Carbon: The Book of Life

Reflections

Deep in nature, my problems slip away. Feet in the dirt, surrounded by plants, I become fully immersed in the natural world, consumed only by what’s around me — the sights, smells, sounds, and sensations. The smell of nature grounds me; it brings me back to Earth and reminds me that I’m part of something much bigger than myself. The smell of the natural world is undeniable. My body knows it, and now my mind has a name for it — petrichor.

If ever you question what is true and real, return to nature, and it will remind you.