June brings Father's Day and with it, memories of the men who have shaped me: my father, my brother Ziven, my cousin Lowell, and so many other guys who helped form the woman I’ve become. Their influence has been steady, grounding, and wild—in the best way. And more often than not, they’ve led me straight into nature’s arms.

As a little girl, my dad called me “Sis” and taught me how to be strong. When life got hard, he’d remind me, “No one ever said it’s going to be easy, Sis.” Ziven was my compass, my best friend, and my protector—he made me feel safe. I was Ziven’s sister—everyone knew you didn’t mess with Ziven’s little sister.

We spent countless days outside—fishing, exploring and heading off-grid to an island house where some of my fondest childhood memories were created. It had no running water, only a rain catchment system my father rigged up. Those adventures taught me to find joy in simplicity, to value connection over comfort and to turn to the natural world when life gets overwhelming. That little island had everything we needed: each other, the open sky and the kind of peace only found in nature.

Later, in Colorado, my cousin Lowell and I shared that same bond with the land. We snowboarded, rafted, hiked, off-roaded and explored the Rockies with a curiosity that felt like freedom. We became like siblings, and that bond has meant the world to me, especially after losing my one and only brother, Ziven. Those years with Lowell deepened my connection to the natural world in a way I’ll always carry.

These men helped root my love for nature, and this month’s feature article, “Healing the Split From Nature” by Marlaina Donato, reminded me why that love matters. She writes about how our separation from the Earth creates chronic stress and disconnection. I’ve felt that too. As a new mom, life can feel chaotic and nonstop, but a barefoot walk in the sand, a deep breath under the trees or simply watching the sky shift at sunset brings me back to center.

Nature doesn’t ask us to perform. It simply welcomes us home. And the men in my life helped me hear that call early on. I’m grateful for them—for the ways they shaped me, and for how they helped me listen more deeply to the Earth, to myself and to what truly matters.

As we celebrate Father’s Day, I also look ahead with gratitude. It’s my fiancé Charley’s first Father’s Day, and I already see the tenderness, strength and joy he brings to our daughter’s world. I can’t wait to watch the way he helps shape Zylah’s spirit—just as the men in my life helped shape mine.

This June, I invite you to honor the people—men or women—who helped you find your place in nature. As Donato writes, “We are part of the entangled weave of life.” And the more we remember that, the more whole we become.