…A reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things.
One sunny afternoon, not too long ago in late summer, I was on my way to visit a friend, and not unusual for me, I decided to take a back road I hadn’t been on in a while. I was listening to my voicemails, and then turned on the radio. A song came on that I hadn’t heard in quite some time. It instantly took me back to a period in my life of being a teenager in high school.
While I was listening to this nostalgic song, and trying to remember the words to sing along, I came to a “T” in the road. I wasn’t sure whether to go left or right, so I opted for left, and continued on, singing. It was such a beautiful day, and I didn’t mind going a bit out of my way, off the beaten path to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding hillsides. I sipped my coffee, and paid more attention to the landscape. The colors of the trees in the woods were lovely. I marveled at the many shades of green I saw. There were so many textures and colors, it was quite beautiful. Sometimes I think I take Ohio for granted, just a bit too much. We really do live in a beautiful area of rolling hills, valleys, lakes and farmland. It’s easy to see the grandeur of the ocean and the palms trees , or the snow-capped mountains of the west when you’re on vacation, but we’ve got some awesome views right here in our own backyard, too.
One particular bend in the road brought me alongside a stream on my left, with tall, sturdy sycamores, and picturesque birch trees. The contrast between the two types of trees was stunning. I pulled my car over to take a long look. Putting the car in “park,” and shutting the engine off, I rolled my window down to listen to the stream. There was a slight breeze that gently caressed my face. I turned my face upward toward the sun and felt the warmth radiating down on me. The water made a constant bubbly, gurgling sound as it gently tumbled over the rocks. There was not another car on the road. I sat for a few moments, taking in the sight below me. I noticed an acrobatic squirrel in one of the sycamore trees. He scurried way out on a long branch that seemed to stretch as far as it could toward the next sycamore. I imagined he would have to turn around and run back toward the trunk, but to my surprise he jumped right over to the nearest branch of the next tree! I watched as he quickly maneuvered down that branch and on to another. He soon became lost in the leaves, and my gaze fell back on the stream. The water was very peaceful to watch, and listen to. I noticed the water flow wasn’t as wide as the streambed.. In fact, it was actually a very narrow stream of water that was flowing. Because of the rocks and the drop-off from which it fell, it caused the little stream of water to gurgle and splash at each drop. I guessed the smallness of the flow was because of the lack of rain we had experienced. So to me, it was particularly wonderful that such a small trickle of water could still be so alluring to look at, and lovely to hear.
I glanced at the clock on my dash and realized I’d spent almost twenty minutes enjoying this little spot. My friend would wonder where I was. I sent her a quick text, and started my car. As I turned out onto the road, I gave the stream one last glance. How great it was to find such a little treasure as that spot! It reminded me that every day as we hurry from point A to point B, we have no idea what is going on right under our noses. There are numerous places along the road, just as peaceful as this one, but we, in our haste, don’t stop to find or enjoy them.
So I urge you today or tomorrow, as you go about your day, to take a moment and notice some small wonderful thing that you might have missed if you hadn’t slowed down to look. It could be anything- a bird, a cloud formation, children playing on a playground, or a wooly-worm on the sidewalk. Take it in, and enjoy it for a moment or two. Find the beauty in the small things we overlook. Life is more than just the big picture.
Tami Loves…finding life’s little treasures all around us, every day.
