Do you ever feel guilty when you find yourself being idle? Sometimes just sitting and listening to the summer night noises can seem like a waste of time to some of us. But is it really? Why do we often feel if we don’t fill every minute or hour with some “productive” activity, we are wasting our lives. Whether we are concerned with our days becoming shorter or just anxious about time slipping away, it is a habit that many of us have.

We all know that we have only a certain amount of time on this planet — and whether we fill it with what we believe to be productive activity or just listening to nature and our thoughts — it is all the same amount of time. It is yours to use whatever way you want.

No one can give us back time. We need to remember that listening to crickets, watching lightening bugs, listening to the leaves blow before a summer storm, or just reminiscing about some wonderful moments in our lives is very productive. It gives our brains and souls a vacation. When we think about these pleasurable things, our brains actually renew the positive feeling that we had when it actually happened! It also makes us think about how small we are in this great universe and what we see and hear now will be here after we are long gone.

So just kick back and enjoy those moments of solitude. Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at Givens Gerber Park there are plenty of places to do so — sit underneath a gazebo and experience the breeze on a hot day, sway on a porch swing, or watch hummingbirds and butterflies among the flowers on the café patio. Your brain and soul will thank you for it.