Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Simple Things











To find the beauty in simple things really isn't all that hard. If someone asked you about butterflies you would think, yes they are beautiful. Sunsets, The beaches of , well any beach, everyone would agree they are beautiful. Slowing down long enough to spend time in beauty is the key. Much easier said than done for sure.

There is so much to accomplish in this life. So much to do, so we can enjoy life. Balance is what it's all about, right? That's what we are all striving for. Striving for it in how much we work, shuttle kids to ball games, and spend time with friends. We strive for it with our spouses, our families and our hobbies. There are a lot of lives that run at break neck speed, most that run faster than mine, but we are trying to find that balance, so the sweet stuff doesn't get by us before we see that it's gone. I sure don't want to wake up one day to find that the finer things, the things that really matter have passed me by.

I think that will always be true however to some degree. I try to move through this life slower, spend time with family and friends. I share in great conversations around campfires quite often, spend time in reflection, and try to really engage the people along my path. Still it all goes too fast. I did slow down long enough to photograph the cricket shown here and spent time really marveling at how beautiful and intricate it is. I wish I did it more often. Life is a blur. We've heard it all our lives and now many of are sensing its truth. Savor the freshness of the morning, hug your loved ones like it's crucial for your survival. Look an elder in the eye and listen to his stories. Watch for just a minute the wonderment of a small child. The sweet stuff is around us all the time This is what I tell myself, I just don't listen as often as I should.

1 comment:

  1. After fracturing my back in 2002 and then being in a car wreck right before Christmas in 2007 and now having knee surgery and also having a few other surgeries ahead of me, I have found that simple can be very good. My life has gotten very simple in the last few years and I find that I really like the simple things. Sitting watching my plants grow, watching the hummingbirds and butterflies feed on my flowers, sitting watching the waves come and go, holding a purring cat in my lap while being surrounded by my other purring cats, just listening to the rain as it falls outside my window. Melissa says that I spend way too much time at home alone, but I figure after all of the years of all the running around; taking the kids to my grandparents home so that I could go to work when the kids were young, having my kids and half of the neighborhood kids in and out of my house, taking Shawn and his friends to band practices, competitions and football games, and then running Melissa and her friends to color guard practices, competitions, and going to more football games, running kids all over town to various friends houses for various reasons, having to go to 3 different stores just to find the right color shoes that go with just the right dress for the prom. All while working 40 to 60 hours a week. I think that I will enjoy simple as long as I can. I even get to enjoy the simple pleasure of helping Melissa with her boyfriend’s girls; I forgot how much fun playing dress up and coloring were. How wonderful it is to enjoy the simple pleasure of finger painting, of a hug and an “I love you, Grama Cyndi”. Ah, the simple things that can give so much pleasure and happiness. I know that my life will get very busy again, but while it is simple, I will enjoy it to the fullest.

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