I wrote this in the 1980’s, misplaced it and recently discovered it.

I believe this still applies today, maybe, more than 30 years ago. Today, we read the family unit, as we know it, may cease. This will never happen. What is happening is that stress is edging into each family member, causing daily tensions to rise. How long has it been since you’ve taken your family on a stroll?

A family stroll brings the family closer while melting tensions. I’m inviting you to take your family on a stroll next Sunday afternoon. It need not be long. I suggest a patch of woods without a developed trail — make your own. Find each member a walking stick and a can of insect spray. Leave all cell phones in your car. If you are unaware of a patch of woods, I suggest Holly Springs National Forest, near the Puskus Lake area on Highway 30 East.

Begin your stroll to meander, staying out of the reach of the sounds of vehicles. Perhaps, for the first time, watch your children discover the untouched wonders of nature. Be sure to explain how God creates the wonders of the natural world. Ask your family to sit down and close their eyes for one minute. Let each one take turns and share what they heard.

Was it the tree leaves rustling in the wind? Was it a bird calling its mate? Was it a Blue Jay fussing at the family for disturbing her privacy? Ask your family to rest on a fallen log and look between the tree branches at the clouds race above. Ask them to keep looking for a hawk, circling and circling, looking for their next meal in an open area.

When the family returns, the children may said, “Daddy, Daddy. When can we go to another stroll in the woods?” Then the parents can both feel like the person who said, “Give me woods to stroll in and we will give back to the world at peace with God and man.”

John Arrechea is an Oxford resident. Contact him at jonlo@maxxsouth.net.