Gratitude

Part of our work as humans is to perceive and appreciate beauty. In my day to day life I am often moving too fast both physically and mentally to really notice beauty. However, working outside in nature has a way of slowing a person down enough to notice what is happening. This morning as I was feeding the llamas their treat, I had to hold the food dishes while they munched on their pellets of llama goodness. They do not eat slowly, but sometimes I notice that when I can do all the rest of the chores at my own pace, I get impatient while the llamas are munching at their pace. This morning was a frosty morning. As the llamas were munching I looked up and noticed something I had never noticed before. Within the concrete block walls of the red barn, there are sections that are made of these square glass “bricks,”and from the inside I could see that the frost had made intricate geometric patterns on the outside of each of these glass bricks. I marveled that each brick was decorated with a modern art masterpiece, each unique as a snowflake. The morning sun would soon obliterate these works of art, but for that moment I was an appreciator of beauty.

Now looking back I realize that when things are under way and they are going to take as long as they have to take, I am momentarily freed from the distress of having to hurry up so I can get on to the next thing. This freedom allows my mind to wander off into imagination or my thoughts to turn to noticing things in my environment. Another example is when I am on the tractor mowing a field or tilling the ground. I can’t make the tractor go faster, or the mowing or tilling would not be done well. So, once the pace is set and I am resigned to continue to operate the tractor, then I can widen my focus to include both my imagination and my surroundings. I think about the past, present and future of the fields, planning the cover crops, manure applications and crop rotations and such. I notice the color and moisture content of the soil and the location of certain weeds. I think about ways to involve people in the harvests and planting. But I wouldn’t get to any of that thinking without the enforced pace of the tractor. Thank you to all of the real life activities that take actual time. That time is a gift.

  Thanks Llarry!