Tuesday, December 23, 2008

What If~

What if I was the type of person who didn't appreciate the natural world around me? I wouldn't appreciate the silent moment of snow falling and the beauty of water in winter.
What if I didn't like to go outdoors and always stayed inside? Inside the house, inside the mall, inside gossiping, inside complaining or inside always watching TV. I wouldn't have watched these two birds flying about together to keep each other company. Chirping, nestling, fluffing their feathers and alert to their surroundings.What if I only noticed gold, diamonds, sapphires and emeralds? I wouldn't notice the simple beauty of this red leaf in the middle of a snow storm. Marvel that I was so blessed by this bush's leaves changing colors late in the season. I wouldn't appreciate these red berries surrounded by brambles and the brown branches keeping them alive.
What if I only cared about the shape of gables, the biggest foyer and house size? I wouldn't see the way the snow changed my dried up perennials into these beautiful snow mushrooms.
What if I thought of nature as dirty, full of bugs, roughing it and nothing of importance? I would have missed the beauty of this water fountain during a hike. Unused but still yearning to be noticed.
What if I never looked up or looked down or looked around or just stopped to notice, period? I could go through my days not appreciating that I live in a beautiful place. I'm blessed to be surrounded by so much beauty. I'm free to look at it through appreciative eyes, an appreciative heart and that my husband sees it the way I do and we can pass that on to our family. And our family gets it!
Through this Christmas weekend, my hope for you is that you are able to stop long enough to see that the season is not about baubles, presents, food and decor. It's about appreciating the family you have, the friends who support you, the wealth we have compared to most of the world, the freedom we have and the greatest gift available to all. Merry Christmas!!!

3 comments:

The Good Life in Virginia said...

so very true ... we often forget how much we have and those who fought for our country and that freedom is not something to be taken lightly.

god bless

Nike Athena said...

Thank you for so beautifully reminding us of everything we have to be thankful for.

Anonymous said...

Hi Norma!
I love this post, so thoughtful!
I just had this whole comment typed out and I lost it. Ughh.
Anyway, your package arrived today and I LOVED it! It was such a treat opening each package and reading each tradition. We all loved the sweet treats, the cookies are just delicious! The puzzle will provide us with many hours of entertainment. The house ornament is so well done. I love the little hand folded/oragami piece, it is so delicate. The embroidered towel is so pretty. Each and every item is much appreciated. The cd is in my car and I will listen to it in the morning on my way to work. I love Christmas music any time of the year!
Thank you Norma, I really feel like I made a new friend in this process. It was so much fun!
Take care, and enjoy your beautiful snow!
jenn