Written by Ordinary Extra – June 2, 2023. A Great Start.
My day started early with the threat of high heat and then cold front bringing storms and rain. But the morning was gorgeous. The sun climbed and another gift from God had dawned.
Then I really saw the sky. I mean I really focused on the light, the shapes, and the colors. The sky shifts constantly and I had to get to a place where I could get a decent picture. Then, in a second, the moment was captured in a picture. Where I stood it was peaceful and quiet while the sky was still working things out. Another simple but ordinary extra moment and a great start to my day.
The morning sky, despite the peace and quiet down on the earth where I stood, showed a beautiful transition way up high.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge…” Psalm 19:1-2.
After a great start to the day, I was blessed with more of God’s creation. I did not get pictures of these moments, but I kept track of what I saw. I saw a newborn deer walk along the edge of a woodline before the sun was up. I am sure that momma deer was not too far away.
I saw two bald eagles perched above a rushing river. One of them, I saw before dawn. Then the other one I saw a few hours later.
A common sight for me this spring has been rabbits. I have been seeing them nearly every day, in all kinds of locations. I saw another one in the morning. It was moving in and out of high grass and bushy brush at the edge of a stand of trees. Beautiful.
Then later in the day I saw more proof that life is happening all around us. Despite human encroachment. I watched a mother turkey (hen) walking a circuitous route with eight, yes eight, turkey babies (poults). This was quite comical for sure. They probably covered four times the distance of a straight line, but Mom was keeping watch over all eight of the youngsters as they wandered to and from the woods.
A great start led to a great day. A day with plenty of ordinary extra moments mixed in. Sometimes you just need to be looking for these moments. And then, all of a sudden, your day is enhanced.
We live in an age where comparisons are being made 24/7 whether we know it or not. Social media, TV, Internet ads, and many more outlets bombard us all with image. Image as in, this is how the perfect product, or the perfect moment, or even any product in the perfect setting, can make life, well, pretty near perfect.
You know what I am talking about. Pictures of how awesome other people’s life is, at least that is how it is made to look. At some level we all get caught up in the “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. And we think out loud or to ourselves, “Well, my yard, my vacation, my this, or our that doesn’t like nearly as good as theirs”.
So, I am here to spread some ordinary extra moments. These are things that happen in an average day in my little world. Some might resonate, some may not. But the point is, be happy and thankful for what you do have. And sometimes that might just be the ability to think, to breathe, to work, to love, to feel, and so on. There is beauty all around us.
Just an ordinary day with an ordinary extra moment, or two, mixed in.
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