I know it’s been a minute or two since I last wrote and posted. I have a whole list of ideas to write about, and time just flies by without me getting around to it. Like everyone else, I’m busy. It seems like we were just in 2019, tipping our toes into 2020, and now incredibly we’re half way through the fifth month of 2021. Hard. To. Believe.
Does your day ever look like this:
Mine does.
It seems that I am always on the go, always on, always available. Anyone else able to relate to that? So to counteract the constant chaos and commitments, I have learned to look for–and be grateful for–those quiet blessings that come my way.
Everyone’s idea of quiet blessings might look different, but mine looks a little like this: a butterfly larking from flower to flower, sunlight streaming through the clouds, and the soft petals of a rosebud slowly opening. Dew on the morning grass. Fish lazily swimming in the pond. Wagging tail of a happy dog. Moonlight and twinkling stars. All some of my favorite things.
And I’ve learned quiet doesn’t necessarily mean no-noise. Quiet can be soft noise too. Birdsong. Gurgling brook. Rain. Porch swing chains. Chickens scratching in the dirt and chirping. I could listen to those noises all day long.
If only, right?
Another quiet blessing I have learned to treasure is just the opportunity to sit somewhere; a bench, a swing, a rock, and just be still. Quiet. Just breathe, just empty my mind. I don’t necessarily break into a meditation but I slow down my thoughts, my breathing, and everything else. Be still and breathe slowly, deeply, purposely. Isn’t that a blessing?
And what makes these events so special is, at least for me, their rarity.
Today an old friend texted for a quick catch up. Another friend stopped in to chat. I value both of these visits as precious blessings, albeit only one was “quiet”. Sometimes it’s just the smile from a friend or loved one, or a word to say hello. Knowing we are being thought of is blessing in itself.
So while most of us are required to be part of the motion train, in one form or another, be sure to step away once in a while and take time to notice the small, quiet blessings in your daily life. They are out there, we need only open our eyes to see them.
Ryan Jo Summers 