I found myself enamored of the world this week while on a walk with my tiny dogs. The smell of pennyroyal; the bright bubblegum burst of a particular autumn-cusp flower; raindrops on a spiderweb, delicate magnificence.
So often, I am in the world of what-if, the world of if-then. I think about what might happen, whether it’s on a global scale, at a community level, or in my own home, and I sometimes forget to look around at what actually is.
Clock ticking. The beeping of a truck backing up. A small airplane overhead. Children calling out on a playground.
The delicate magnificence of a spiderweb, on an early walk with my tiny dogs. This is my life. This, here, is what it means to live.
I love how you notice life! I think we have to do that, too. And I agree that sometimes we are going along with a million things on our minds and we forget to notice the little (or big) things!
Isn’t that part of living life, tho? I read an excerpt from Ann Patchett in which she reminded readers that life is a series of small moments, and we can be present for them or not. But surely it’s better to be present? I think that includes noticing the small things.
I think all of that’s true. I’ve been trying to stop distracting myself so much with things going on in my phone and pay more attention to what’s happening around me. Even in the really trying moments, there is beauty. But also, there are lessons even in the really trying moments. It’s so hard to remember. Being outside helps to humble me, remind me I’m just a very small part of a very big world.