Creek Sitting

I read an interesting Op-Ed piece the other day in the NYT. In it, the writer was opining on the social implications of gratitude; namely, the idea that if one expects that, as humans, we’re not that awesome, then when something fantastic does occur, one is left with a feeling of awe and wonderment.

Gratitude is a theme that I return to in my life as frequently as I can. It’s as much as because I sincerely need the mental check from time to time, as because it’s an emotion that isn’t given enough credit. Sure, folks say they’re grateful for “insert whatever here” but I often wonder if they really ARE or if, like most of us, they’re just going through the motions of what they think is expected.

I try to live with a gracious heart. To see that there is some light in the everyday, and when I find it, to fully embrace it; to live it in such a swollen appreciation that (hopefully) one day I don’t have to actively consider being grateful. It is my sincere hope that at some point in my life, living with gratitude will have come so ingrained, that there’s no other way to live.

After the office on Monday, I went to French Park and hiked for a bit. The War with the Bugs was full on – this in Cincinnati summer after all, but I tried not to let it get to me. Instead, I concentrated on the squish of mud beneath my feet, the way the air smelled, the sounds of the leaves rustling. I hadn’t been back in the woods in years; it’s probably been since the last time I went with Willis and Twilite. My feet led me where my mind had forgotten and before I knew it, I was sitting on a muddy rock in this creek, not caring if I was messing up my dress with my feet in the cool water.

The moments I spent sitting there, thinking and expanding on this life I’m leading, were pure and as full of grace as I could muster after a long day in Dental World. GK Chesterson wrote that, “Thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Amen to that. I didn’t solve any of my pressing concerns while I sat in the creek, but I did come away with a greater sense of calm, a fresher mind, and a few bug bites for good measure.