Still taking a break from posting new excerpts from my
latest story, Learning Lea. Will
resume with my story posts next week.
As I’m prone to do, I was sifting through collected fortunes
I’ve gotten, reading their messages. One struck a chord in me, saying, “You
find beauty in ordinary things. Do not lose this ability.” The fortune made me
smile, as much as it did back when I first pulled that slip of paper from its
crunchy cookie.
The fortune couldn’t be more fitting—least for me. Some
might say otherwise, but those who know me—really and truly know me—are always commenting
on I get the greatest joy out of the simplest things. Guess you could call them
ordinary, though I prefer to think of them as little gifts that capture my full
attention and make me smile from the inside out.
So what kinds of ordinary things do I find beautiful? The
sun dipping behind the islands across my beach, as the day winds down, giving
way to the dark veil of night. How the sun explodes into a literal colorful
pallet of breath taking colors for up to half an hour after the sun sets,
painting hues of blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, black, grey, etc across the
sky, bringing alive everything in the fore and backgrounds. Watching an animal
at rest. Glimpsing birds doing what they do best—busying themselves with
staying alive. Watching hawks play in thermals. Dolphins arching gracefully out
of the water. Seals peeking their heads out of the water to see what’s above
the surface. The way the sunlight glistens on dewdrops that cling to nature’s
garden of wonders. Observing children at play. Watching a couple hold hands or
embrace. The crevices and knots found in tree bark. How sunlight shimmers over
the surface of water, almost blinding in its beauty. The endless array of
colors nature puts on display for us every time we take the opportunity to
notice them. Finding hidden treasures in those items cast aside by others. And
the list goes on and on.
Like I said, some may call these things ordinary, though I
prefer to think of them as valued gifts that capture my full attention and make
me smile from the inside out.
