Gratitude

I try to begin each day with an "attitude of gratitude."

For me this means not just being thankful for the wonderful people and circumstances that surround me, but actually allowing myself to sink into feelings of joy and appreciation for every bit of it. I am blessed to have a loving (if quirky) family, friends who enrich my life immeasurably, a soulmate, a deep sense of my spiritual source, passions, a healthy body, a good job...

It would probably be most beneficial to savor these blessings, to roll them around in my heart until I can't stop the wide smile that invariably accompanies the joy they bring, before I ever get out of bed in the morning. Being the night owl that I am, however, that is generally not practical. The first leisure time I have in the morning is during the commute in to work. As luck would have it, my 30-minute drive to the office is through a largely rural area. I regularly see Great Blue herons, Bald eagles, deer, Barred owls, fox, Red-tailed and Cooper's hawks. I pass through woods that are blazing with autumn color, laden with wintry frost, or swaying lush in a summer breeze as season passes to season. I slow each day as I pass a pond surrounded by trees, with a small ridge bordering one shore... the treasures I find floating, wading, soaring or sipping here are some of the greatest joys of my day.

All of these sights, mere glimpses into a world seemingly separate from me, only serve to expand the feelings of gratitude I have for my life, those around me, and the wild places of the world - even if those wild places are only miniscule pockets surrounded by a frantic human society. I know I am not separate from these places. And I revel in that knowledge as I begin my day with a true attitude of gratitude...