I recently wrote a post on "NBJ Daily" welcoming our now official 2020 Fall Season ("Hello Fall, Goodbye Summer). Heaven knows, we're all ready for some beautiful fall colors to divert our attention from all always colorful and unpleasant news each day.
I chose for the "Hello Fall" post a photo of one of our horses, Velvet taken when I was enjoying a beautiful day playing (and just being) out in the pasture with our horses and donkeys. How lucky I was to catch that moment when our sweet ol' gal was ever so gently exploring this tiniest of summer's die hard flowers.
Velvet took the time to gently enjoy the little treasure she had found. I watched as she so very gently nudged it. She did not try to eat it or otherwise disturb it in any way - she was merely taking the time to stop - to explore this little beauty of nature. I'd also like to think that she was also admiring its gloriously bright burst of colork in spite of its tiny size.
It was only while looking at the picture of this sweet moment later that day, however, that I was reminded of something else. Having to stay at home base most of these past six+ months during the pandemic has meant more here than there for most of us. And, I realized this is indeed one of the silver linings of these crazy times. The pandemic's mandated closings and zillion other not-by-choice changes in our world greatly reduced our never-ending running around from place to place, activity to activity.
Many folks are now sliding back into or already totally back living in their full throttle modes. Whatever our current mode may be, most of us while home-based re-learned the value in slowing down, taking a deep breath and taking time to regroup. And, in spite of many pandemic related hardships, we also received some unexpected benefits from making unplanned, but necessary changes in our pre-pandemic habits and routines.
Thanks, Velvet, and little wild white daisy - it's nice to be reminded to recognize and appreciate the silver linings amidst our storms. What were your silver linings, unexpected gifts from our suddenly flipped upside down worlds?