Birds of the Air

As I was walking my dog the other day, I noticed how she delighted in taking in every smell in the air around her & every scent on the ground. As she rolled in the grass, I smiled at the sheer joy my Penny dog was experiencing at that very moment.

We walked a bit further & I took her to the spot under a particular tree where I knew my odds were high that she would "drop her bundle" (she didn't, but oh well). As I waited for her to smell every blade of grass under that tree, I heard a different sort of bird than the usual doves & finches I usually hear.  I looked up & marveled at the beauty of these birds & at how all the things I think about in a day & all the things on my "To Do" list mean absolutely nothing to them. Their world, although coexisting with mine, was in sharp contrast to the world I lived in. While I live my life according to what I have to get done, the birds were going about their lives by simply living each day, flying about, eating, staying warm, avoiding predators & socializing with one another in what appeared to me to be a very joyous camaraderie between them. 

As I continued walking my dog & made my way toward home, I looked up at the sky as the gentle breeze lifted my hair from my forehead. The sky was a soft pale blue, with what looked like brush strokes of wispy clouds in feather-like patterns across the expanse of sky. It was actually very pretty.

Penny grabbed her leash in her mouth & happily ran toward home. I couldn't help but take it all in -- all the beauty & simplicity around me. It's so easy to stress & fret, to be preoccupied, to be busy & distracted. But life really doesn't have to be that complicated. Sure, we have to take care of our responsibilities, but I don't believe that's what life is about. Life is meant to be appreciated & enjoyed. When we can appreciate what we see & experience around us, we can enjoy true happiness & peace in that moment. Perhaps that may be the only moment of peace we have on that particular day. That's okay. 

Photo: Cari Kissel

Every moment of peace that we can grab a hold of helps keep our perspective positive. The more positive we are, the better our attitude & outlook will be. The better our attitude & outlook is, the more likely that the choices we make & the interactions that we have with others will be positive in nature....& the more likely that the end result will be less stress, distraction, worry & frustration that we will experience in our day-to-day life. I mean, look at the birds for example: they don't worry or stress. They simply live, do what they must do, & enjoy one another. That's how I want to live my life. 

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes\? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." ~  Matthew 6:26-29





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