My father is on my mind for a couple of reasons right now; one is that he passed on Feb 8th, nine years ago. And second because of his love of views and how I have come to wholeheartedly agree with his belief in the importance of views.

Over the last six years, my partner and I lived in over 36 homes (we had to list them recently in applying for his green card). So we did literally count and list them.

As we were looking for our new home to settle into we discussed what were our top priorities in our new home. For us, having access to trails is really important and so is a view. Over the six years of travel, we have had numerous different types of views, including looking out a port hole on a cruise ship, from sea to land.

Over the years I have come to notice the difference that different views have on my brain function. Brain function is one of the things I help my clients optimize. Having an expansive view, particularly of nature, heightens the brain’s ability to process as well as expand perspective.

One thing we did not get in our current house is an expansive view. And at the same time, we got a view that I have never had before… a view of a park. Currently, it is winter and so rather bare and covered in magical snow.

Looking out of our home and into the park is surprisingly wonderful. I love seeing people walking, playing, running, and enjoying the park. I find it relaxing simply to see others in the park. We also have a lot of trees and sky in our view which I love gazing at.

Did you know that staring (both for kids and adults), you know that far-off almost glossy stare, is when our brain is processing?

I try to never interrupt my little one’s stare (or my own).

My father bought the land on which he built my childhood home because of the view. My mom continues to enjoy it; it is a thing we do every time we visit her and something she does regularly herself with her new love.

One of my dad’s rituals that I adore is that he regularly made it a point to pause whatever he was doing at sunset time and he would call to all of us to join him on the deck to enjoy the view.

A great mantra that my dad used to say all the time has become part of my life’s work as a food and mood BodyMind coach: “Eat to Live, instead of Live to Eat.”

Thank you dad for showing me the importance of a view and planting the seed of how important food is to our quality of life.