Nature As Nurture

Only a few weeks after September 11, 2001, my eldest sister became gravely ill. It was a shocking, tumultuous time for the nation and the world. For our family, it was a time of fear and anxiety on far too many levels. Thankfully, Karen survived after a lengthy stay in the hospital and a long recovery at home. Like many other folks during that difficult time, Chuck and I had problems sleeping. If we could fall asleep right away, we would often wake up suddenly with a feeling of dread. We would turn on the television or the radio to listen to a few minutes of news. We were trying to ascertain that nothing else horrible had happened in the world. Briefly reassured, we would attempt to fall back asleep.

It was during this time that we discovered The Sounds of Acadia CD by Nature’s Symphony. I still remember the afternoon we played it for the first time. We hadn’t slept well the night before and I had a pounding headache. Chuck slipped it in the CD player and we let the sounds of surf, gulls and streams, recorded in Acadia National Park in Maine, coupled with gentle music wash over us. It wasn’t a magic wand, but it did make us feel sufficiently more relaxed that we played it again at bed time. We’ve played it nearly every night since. It still provides comfort.

Orange Tree Productions, the company that produces The Sounds of Acadia CD, has an extensive catalogue of music combined with the sounds of nature. Perhaps you’ll find one that soothes your soul.