Summer living

along Benaulim beach. The shacks are coming down and the tourists seem to slowly dwindle,

leaving the golden sands only for a handful of locals and me. The sunsets are amazing and the

blue waters shimmer froth.

I see few families gather for a shallow water bath in the sea. Grandmothers, dressed in their

plain cotton frocks, dip their legs in knee deep waters (for medicinal purposes) while young

naked kids squeal with no other intentions except having fun.

I see worried mothers forbid the risk their young children are attempting to take, braving the

water, bargaining for a bigger wave to sweep them off their feet into the coarse waters, for a

kiss with the sand. Among the many other sights I breathe in, are the tar balls that disturb

the tracks of ardent beach walkers. But the beauty of the shore seems to forgive all.

I know I almost sound in love, but the beauty of a Goan beach, leaves me tender. I often

wonder why we take such beauty for granted. Leaving so close to the coast, yet we shy away from

a visit to the beach. Are we just lazy or do we rather visit the mall instead.

Yes, things have changed for most of us locals who live in one of the most beautiful places on

the planet. We forget what it was like to climb hills in search of berries, the khandha,

chunnas and alsaandhewe once found so exotic.

The scorching summer sun beats done on us seeking an escape to cooler places. So we seek the

comforts of an air conditioner, finding things to do behind closed doors, refusing to enjoy a

good summer vacation.

Having this choice, we give up our time with nature. Our days are spend in front of the TV or

the computer, escaping into a fantasy of the virtual world, that we don’t even experience the

regret of being cooped up in the house. Little do we realize, that such strategies of coping

with the summer heat, are actually doing us more damage than good!

Interacting with nature is often taken for granted. Unfortunately it is what the doctor

prescribes for a healthy life. The secret ingredient of a long and healthy life is about

maintaining a balance between you and your environment. We are creatures of nature and we

require to participate in its goodness for survival. Holidays are a good time to catch up with

such interactions.

There was a summer tradition of family picnics to various springs and streams to combat the

heat. Families would travel together in vehicles or cycles and spend the entire day out in

nature.Goa’s topography has changed but not so much that its beauty is exhausted. We still have

a few hills to explore, a few rivers, creeks and ponds to swim, a few beaches to walk and

play.Life is you living and creating memories to reminiscence. We have to be able to look back

and say we had a good life.

Interacting with nature can benefit you and your children in more ways than just having a good

time. To begin with, the physical activity involved when you are out playing, running, hiking

or fishing is good for your health. Working out the muscles in nature is far more rewarding

than running the thread mill in the gym.

Exposure to the early morning or late evening Sun will give you the dose of vitamin D that

your body needs.

There is something about nature that is beautiful and unpredictable. Both of which allows for

bonding to take place. As family or friends when you do stuff together, there is a connection

that takes place, which no therapy can aid you with.Feelings of trust and risk taking together

are some great lessons in life.

You laugh more at such outing. Social skills are enhanced, and most importantly you relax.

Having fun is about being able to have a good laugh, feel tender, and feel the chemistry of

your body change.

At the end of such a jaunt, you will feel a sense of lightness that engulfs you. The feeling is

good and positive. The tightness of your body muscles relax, for in those moments of laughter

you let go of all that you hoard as worries. The best way to deal with stress is to have fun.

You need laughter in your life. As a nation, when it comes to being happy, we fall way below

the scale of things. Our pride of being susegado, is challenged by our air conditioned rooms,

social media and our so called comfort zones. Susegado is slowly being replaced by laziness and

loneliness. There is more hypertension, diabetics, depression and other stress related

disorders now, than when we were proudly susegado. If we do not make conscious efforts to

combat these than we are going the way of the rest, where stress dictates our life expectancy.

In between your travel plans make time to interact with sun sets and sunrises of summer time.

It’s what the doctor has ordered if you need an excuse