This morning begins in darkness, the windows pressed close by the early hour. My coffee steams in the quiet as Barbara Harbach’s Soul of Ra drifts through the wee cottage, wrapping me in a cocoon of warmth. Outside, the mild weather lingers, the air running twelve to fourteen degrees above what it should be. It is pleasant, yes, but the northerner in my soul longs for cooler winds and perhaps the blessing of rain. Dry leaves whisper their need for it too.
Just a few days ago, two dear friends and I made our way north, the road winding through the forest on our way to Glensheen—a grand mansion standing sentinel over Lake Superior’s shore. Its fabled halls carry history and mystery, but it was the journey there, through the cathedral of autumn, that left me spellbound.
One friend leaned forward from the back seat, her eyes bright as she pointed at the blazing trees outside. “Look! Persimmon! Nutmeg! Mustard! Cinnamon! Paprika!” She named each tree as if we were browsing the most exquisite spice rack. Until then, I had never thought of it that way. But yes, the maples burned like paprika, the birches glowed like mustard, the oaks whispered nutmeg, and every bend in the road seemed seasoned with the richness of autumn’s kitchen.
As I gaze again at this picture of the forest road, I think of that moment—the laughter, the delight, the gift of seeing the world with new eyes. The colors of autumn are not just leaves changing, but nature offering us her seasonings, a banquet for the soul.
Am I not blessed? Indeed, I am. And perhaps the surest way to be blessed is to recognize the blessings that already overflow. Mindfulness, after all, is nothing more than giving full attention to what is before us: the taste of coffee, the sound of music, the sight of crimson leaves against a sapphire sky, the companionship of friends. In these moments of reflection, when we set aside the burdens of past and future, we step into the present as if it were the only true gift.
This morning, in my cocoon of warmth and peace, I breathe in gratitude. My basket of blessings is overflowing. The new day calls, and I step into it seasoned with joy, spice, and wonder.
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” ~Jim Rohn
~Wylddane
Just a few days ago, two dear friends and I made our way north, the road winding through the forest on our way to Glensheen—a grand mansion standing sentinel over Lake Superior’s shore. Its fabled halls carry history and mystery, but it was the journey there, through the cathedral of autumn, that left me spellbound.
One friend leaned forward from the back seat, her eyes bright as she pointed at the blazing trees outside. “Look! Persimmon! Nutmeg! Mustard! Cinnamon! Paprika!” She named each tree as if we were browsing the most exquisite spice rack. Until then, I had never thought of it that way. But yes, the maples burned like paprika, the birches glowed like mustard, the oaks whispered nutmeg, and every bend in the road seemed seasoned with the richness of autumn’s kitchen.
As I gaze again at this picture of the forest road, I think of that moment—the laughter, the delight, the gift of seeing the world with new eyes. The colors of autumn are not just leaves changing, but nature offering us her seasonings, a banquet for the soul.
Am I not blessed? Indeed, I am. And perhaps the surest way to be blessed is to recognize the blessings that already overflow. Mindfulness, after all, is nothing more than giving full attention to what is before us: the taste of coffee, the sound of music, the sight of crimson leaves against a sapphire sky, the companionship of friends. In these moments of reflection, when we set aside the burdens of past and future, we step into the present as if it were the only true gift.
This morning, in my cocoon of warmth and peace, I breathe in gratitude. My basket of blessings is overflowing. The new day calls, and I step into it seasoned with joy, spice, and wonder.
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” ~Jim Rohn
~Wylddane
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