Art of Caring

Learning to Listen

Rachel Gentes, MA MSN APRN CNP

On summer evenings in Minnesota, I love to sit on my deck and listen to the chorus of the crickets and frogs. It's a sound that is part of the soundtrack of my life. It brings me a sense of peace and floods my mind with fond memories of family camping trips and my grandparents' farm. It's a sound that grounds me and reminds me that life is more than the schedule and tasks of my day. I sometimes wonder if it's a sound woven into my DNA, a sound that speaks meaning I can't quite understand because of the busy-ness and distractions of modern life. What did the song of the crickets and frogs tell my ancestors? Did it tell them of coming weather patterns? Did it mark some significant seasonal milestone?

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