Tuesday, November 26, 2002
All righty now, how many gentle readers have closed their browsers (the Internet equivelent of closing a book) after seeing the uplifting tribute to snow here? Well, despite the typical New England reaction to snow ("let's move to Florida") I like the snow, and offer some tips for enjoying it yourself. Get a pencil and paper, ok?
1. Go outside with your special sweetie at the first snow, and try to catch snowflakes on your nose.
2. Then close your eyes and feel the snow drifting onto your eyelids.
3. Walk a ways, stirring up the snow with your feet.
4. Go back inside, and have a cup of tea or hot chocolate together.
5. Find someone to plow or shovel you out after it is all over.
6. Relax, knowing you don't have to work in the snow, only enjoy the simple pleasures.
Simple pleasures. How we need to find the time to enjoy them. Even as I am not working, I still don't have the time figured to stop and smell the evergreens (it is not rose season, you know). But rest is very important, and even the Bible mentions that you need to find rest. I find the simple pleasures in smelling fresh flowers, tasting that first cup of coffee in the morning, seeing how the dew sparkles in the early morning light, and finding the best time for taking pictures of people are when the sun is low in the sky, for only a few minutes, and makes the trees and the faces of those you care about glowing in the warmth of the setting sun. Having the time to enjoy these snippets of the day for the beauty they represent and the good feeling that God is in control and created everything is the pleasure I see. And that is simple.
The ultimate Simple Pleasures guide is that same titled guide by John Hadamuscin. How many of your emotions are stirred by some of these snippets of life: listening to children at play, the smell of air-dried bedsheets, watching a butterfly as it dances through the garden, daydreaming when there's work to be done, a baby's smile, a walk through the woods in October. Notice what the common thread is with simple pleasures? You involve all of your senses in some, blocking out everything else and enjoying the simplicity of the moment. It is a romantic notion, for sure, but one we can all learn from too. I hope you'll find a simple pleasure to enjoy during this holiday weekend.
And speaking of the Thanksgiving Holiday (in the US), I am thankful for my God, my son and the life I shared with my wife Joann for twenty years. I also hope I don't eat too much, I am proud of the weight I've lost!
So, in closing, enjoy a simple pleasure, eat well, and come back for another helping of this blog soon. And that's the rest of the story...
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