Last Wednesday my husband and I dropped our dog off for a haircut and took a rare walk without him. It meant we started in a different place, and took some different paths. We had time to explore, and time to pause.
Stu had an urge to sit on a bench and we stopped by a lake. It was peaceful and calm, and we sat and absorbed the beauty of the view. We spoke quietly, only to point out the things we were noticing.
And the more we looked, the more there was to see and appreciate. Two little ducklings, a deer paddling in the water, someone taking photos, snippets of conversation, the breeze blowing through the trees, and - under the water right in front of us - hundreds of tiny creatures swarming a log.
It was a deeply restorative few minutes, and we saw – and appreciated - our surroundings in a very different way.
So often, we can forget to sit still and notice what’s around us.
We’re walking through our lives on what feel like familiar paths, and we think we know what’s there, but there’s so much that it’s easy to miss unless we stop for a moment to take in the view:
The big picture of it all, and the magical moments that make up an everyday life.
The small details that feel familiar but are a snapshot of right now.
The tiny moment by moment changes just under the surface that could pass us by.
What can you see if you sit still for a moment and take a good look around?
What do you notice – about the big picture view and the little details that bring it to life?
And what do you see appreciate - about your surroundings, and the people you share them with?
