Gathering Gratitude

I am always amazed, when I am either driving in the car with my husband at 60 mph or walking in the woods with a particular friend, at their keen sense of noticing nature in an instant. They will say, “Wow, look over there, it’s a pileated woodpecker up in that tree, or “Do you see that herd of deer over there?” And, of course, I say “No. Where?” And they say “Right there, don’t you see? And of course, I say “No”. and by the time they have described where to look, it is already gone. I missed it.

While I may be getting up there in age, my eyesight is not yet failing. However, I have always had trouble seeing “the forest through the trees so to speak”. According to an article in the NY Times, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/06/science/why-we-miss-things-in-front-of-us.html this phenomenon called “inattentional blindness” is not uncommon. It is a result of not paying attention to your surroundings rather than a dysfunction of eyesight.

During this past year, one of the biggest re-awakenings I have had as a result of the pandemic, is finding and noticing how many surprisingly beautiful sanctuary-like walks are within a mile of my home. Even as outdoorsy as I am, I tend to stay on the beaten path, so not to get lost. But over the past 13 months, I have ventured further into the wooded terrain and am astounded with the beauty I did not know existed beyond the concrete sidewalks of Springfield.

Take for instance the Smedley Park Trail situated in both Springfield and Nether Providence Townships, literally has an entrance right across the street from my home of 25 years. Who knew? The extensive Springfield Trail, within the 117 acres, developed by Delaware County Parks and Recreation, are blazed with yellow markers for both the hikers and the bikers. (You can find more info on springfieldtrail.org or on Facebook as springfieldtrail ). There are many newly signed entrances to the trails and enthusiasts can walk up to 5-6 miles enjoying creek-side views of running waters, gorgeous trees and brush in a quiet setting of nature’s theatre.

So in this month of appreciating our planet Earth, I am professing my gratitude to my own natural surroundings, which conveniently for me are right in my own backyard.

Dear Nature and fellow Nature Noticers-

Sometimes it takes something ominous in the world to bring out the “splendor in the grass”. Sometimes it takes someone else to point out what is most enchanting in my day to day observations of your landscape . I am grateful to be able to immerse myself in your beauty and even in your background sounds. I am also grateful to be in the company of others who are able to spotlight all the extra’s that I may just happen to overlook. Thank you.

Annie

Next time, I may just try to remember bringing binoculars.