the joys of stillness

On my way home from buying in the cities, I decided to swing by the nature center and go on a hike. I ended up sitting on a log, looking around me expectantly. I knew if I sat still, and just waited - something would happen.

Now, in general - I don't believe that's true in life. I believe, absolutely, that we make our own luck, that we are in control of our destiny. There are, however, always things that are out of our control, and we have no choice but to be still, hold our breath, and let it come.

Some people consider deer to be pests. I do not. Regardless of how often I see them, which is probably about once a week - my heart stops every time. This time, she was just so close to me. We considered one another for about two minutes, me with tears on my cheeks, before she twitched her tail and ran back up the hill. It seems like such a small thing, but it made my day.

I would imagine it's easy to forget to take joy in such small things. That, for some, it is a struggle to preserve a sense of wonder the further we journey down the road of life. I pray I never lose my ability to be stunned to tears by the sight of a deer, or to stand in awe at the edge of a field filled with fog. There is so much beauty around us, I never want to forget how to see it.