Day 2189 Perspective

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Perspective. Isn’t that the beauty of life? We can see whatever we choose to see.

With record-breaking snowfall, long sidewalks to shovel, and work to be done, how could I not first notice all the beauty this winter wonderland revealed? There was a highway through my yard, tracks from multiple deer and rabbits, and only the snow exposed their nighttime activities. My wild birds were thrilled when I filled their feeder, and one rewarded me by posing on a branch as if just to show off its beauty. The tree limbs were covered with white and hanging down, bowing to the new day...not a bad idea!

Of course, then I had to turn my attention to the piles of snow that needed shoveling, clearing our walkway and digging out the cars. Tim and I worked and worked and worked, but it was hard to complain. First thing that morning, I had called my mother to see how she had fared through the night, and she had just come back inside from shoveling her walkway… at 86! So no complaints from me. In fact, I sure hope I’m still able to shovel my walk 26 years from now. How lucky would that be?

Tim and I continued to enjoy our storm food, cooking up a rack of spare ribs and eating like cavemen. His crazy card-playing friends wanted to get together, so he even ventured out to play, while I opted for an Epsom salt bath and an early bedtime.

The world was quiet for a couple of days, and I, for one, loved every minute of it. I didn’t try to tackle any household projects; I simply enjoyed the peacefulness the storm brought.

It’s a beautiful life, if you adjust your perspective enough to see it. Sometimes the storm isn’t something to get through, it’s something to slow down and enjoy. And if we’re paying attention, it just might leave us with more gratitude than inconvenience.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” ~ Henry David Thoreau