As a teacher of environmental sciences, I was showing my students different soil samples collected from different area near the school. During the discussion, I asked if anyone remembered ever rolling freely on grass. They all looked at me and laughed.

“Maybe we have,” said one of them, “but I, for one, do not remember when I did that.”

So, I wasn’t surprised by the answer I got to my next question. I asked them, “How many of you have watched a flower blossom or observed new leaves sprouting?”

The answer from my students, all residents of urban Karachi, was, “But why do we need to?

I get almost the same answers when I pose similar questions to my friends’ children. Most of them have no recollection of consciously engaging in such activities. The hectic life of Karachi and most cities is such that it prevents people from stopping to admire or enjoy nature. We hardly notice the sprouting of wild flowers in the midst of a cracked pavement, or birds bathing and splashing in a puddle of water from a broken pipe.

Spending a day at the beach over the weekend is very doable for most families living in Karachi. However, very few families take advantage of the fact that they live only 15 to 20 kilometres southwest of beaches on the Arabian Sea. Some take their children to the beach occasionally, where they enjoy playing in the water or just splashing around, playing ball, riding on horseback or on a camel, but rarely do they stop to admire the beauty of the setting sun on the open sea, or feel the sand between their toes. One cannot really blame them for this, since the beach is very polluted to offer any enjoyment.

A typical week for most parents of school-going children involves dropping them off on their way to work or bringing them home, unless they use the school van. In many cases this responsibility falls on the mother. If the children are in a senior class, they also end up taking them for after-school tuition. We all have become too goal-oriented, desperately trying to complete our share of daily routine. Even when we go to the park, we focus mainly on counting our steps. This stressful way of life neither helps lower our stress levels, nor that of the children.

Ask any teenager how they relax after a stressful week, and the most likely response would be exchanging messages on the phone with friends, listening to music, watching a game show, or enjoying gaming. Some older teens may also mention going out with friends for a meal, but most others remain glued to a screen. What worries me is that this gadget-dependent lifestyle of the younger generation will turn them into restless individuals, less empathetic to their environment.

We need to find ways, for our well-being, to slow down, spend more quality time together, or engage in some of many interesting activities that come to our mind quite easily, but are never put into effect. This could simply mean going to the park to walk, run around, play, or just enjoy the fresh air, admiring wild plants, touching and feeling the blades of grass with our feet.

If you live in an apartment, turn your balcony into a garden. Surround yourself with hardy plants that will survive in all weather conditions. Keep the furniture to a minimum, and use a rug for the family to sit on, in the evening. Lying down and looking at the stars or watching slowly moving clouds is a luxury most of us don’t have, but those who do should try and relax in the sound of silence.

School holidays are a great time to cycle, paint, sketch, write a story or a poem. And the best vacation is exploring our own beautiful country, especially the Northern Areas. Enjoy the spectacular scenery, run wild, climb Pakistan’s majestic “Rocky Mountains”, hide behind coniferous trees, soak your feet in the cold water at one of many glacial lakes, or capture the region’s breathtaking landscape — gifts that God has given us to refresh our mind, body and soul.

You will collect memories that can give you and your family long-lasting memories and happiness.

As Thich Nhat Hanh, the wise Buddhist monk said, “When we recognise the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 24th, 2024