A Child's World
"A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us, that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantment of later years, [against] the alienation from the sources of our strength." - Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
The red-tailed hawk that perches near the top of the smokestack at the historic CPS power plant beside the San Antonio River has returned. One of the primary goals of the San Antonio River Improvements Project is to enhance the habitat for wildlife such as this truly awe-inspiring bird.
I was fortunate to have grown up in a family that nurtured my sense of wonder in nature. This was one of the most precious gifts I have been given in my life.
The San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, Cibolo Nature Center and numerous other organizations in and around San Antonio have programs involving school age children (and adults) in activities that can reinforce "a sense of wonder so indestructible that it [will] last throughout life."
I encourage parents to get your children involved in these programs. It may well be, beyond your love and the gift of life itself, the greatest gift you ever give them.
This set of photos was taken on my walk along the San Antonio River Friday (December 14).
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