I am a walker. Most days I like to find an hour or so to go for a walk. Tonight was no exception. It was a beautiful evening and lots of people were out and about. As my feet fell into a rhythmic pace, sights and sounds and smells captivated my senses. I couldn’t help but feel alive in this moment and space. Maybe a little like Winnie the Pooh when he said, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
Young “men” were practicing football in the park, while parents sat on the sidelines, exchanging the day
’s afflictions. The sound of crashing helmets and coaches’ whistles interrupted the chirping birds and the plane’s engine noise overhead. Neighborhood kids gathered on bikes and in yards, giggling and screaming and choosing sides for games. Occasionally, another walker would make eye contact as we passed one-another, and we’d exchange pleasantries. Dogs barked in the backyard to make sure I kept moving on past their territory. The air smelled like fresh cut grass as lawn mowers hummed in every direction. The buzzing song of the cicadas almost drowned out all other noise.
As I turned toward the West, a wonderful sunset was taking place. A seemingly perfect ending to a lovely day. In this hour-long walk, there were many thoughts running through my head. It would have been easy to dwell on the negative – too much traffic noise, the recluse people with their heads down and earbuds securely in place, so as to avoid any interaction, the looming gray sky to the North (we’ve had enough rain!), the to-do list I needed to finish before I go to bed, and on and on. It would have been easy to let a little gloom settle in. As Eeyore says, “Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.”
As I rounded the last corner of the block to my house, I thanked God for the gift of this time and place, for the abundance of beauty and life just waiting to be noticed. For feeling tired because I was able to work all day and for feeling hungry but knowing there was food in the cupboards. “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” Eeyore