As the new year marches on and the days fly by, I’m holding on to the lovely memories of time spent with my family over the holidays. My nephew and I went on several walks in the freezing cold. This is our thing, our tradition ever since he was little. As a lover of walks and hikes, I am glad to say that he is almost always up for a walk with me.

I often walk behind him, watching him and following after him. I wonder what he’s thinking and how he sees the world.

Often, he tells me what he’s thinking, chattering away as we walk together. The random questions come tumbling out. His inquisitive mind is aflame, probing.

“Aunty Chinwe. How come…? Why does…? Is it true that…?”

I often watch him play. He reminds me to see the world not as a thing to be feared and dominated, but as a landscape for exploration, full of potential and wonder.

In another post on here, almost 7 years ago, I wrote this to my nephew: “I want you to love the world. I want you to see wonder and beauty where you look. It will be oh so hard at times, but I want you to always seek out Beauty.”

Lord knows I struggle to see the Beauty sometimes. Our many walks over the years have served as occasion for me to participate with him in this long-ago hope of mine. And for this I am oh so grateful.

Eyes wide open, Chinwe