Windows of Grace

So graceful with their long legs and exquisite feathers…sandhill cranes.

The natural world is filled with grace…an energy field of hope and love and unlimited possibilities.

I suspect that grace is not limited to the natural world. It’s also available in our human world, ours for the asking. Blessings and miracles, large and small, happen every day.

A wise being once shared that human holidays were created as special windows of grace. A time to gather together to celebrate our lives, to express gratitude, and to wish for blessings for all.

So as I celebrate, I ask for grace for all beings who reside on our beautiful planet.

And I know in my heart that grace can change the world…

(Link to New Photos: wandernature.com/new-photos)

Natural Kindness

Watching this beautiful dark-eyed junco, I couldn’t help but smile. I love nature’s small beings.

As the little bird rested quietly on a branch, I had a remembering of another small being. A young boy I met on a trail. His expression was serious as he stopped to show me something.

Cradling his hat in his hands, he revealed small feathers he had collected along the path.

He was certain the bird who had lost the feathers was just up ahead. And the bird was cold. His plan was to return the feathers to the shivering little bird.

His father and I exchanged smiles…such innocent kindness. One of our finest human qualities.

How grateful I was for the reminder…

(Link to New Photos: wandernature.com/new-photos)

Resilience

Yesterday, I awoke feeling anxious about all that’s transpiring in our world. And I remembered a quotation I had recently read: ‘The sun is always there; it’s the clouds that come and go.’

I thought about that as I headed to one of my favorite rivers.

I stood on the bank, and spotted this beautiful common merganser paddling downstream. Such ease and grace. I admire animals’ resilience. They face challenges, adapt and change, and move forward.

And I realized that I can do the same. I can be with my feelings, seek support when I need it, and know that change is a constant in this life.

As I watched the duck disappear around a bend, I felt reassured that the dark clouds will pass.

I took a breath and wandered on...

(Link to New Photos: wandernature.com/new-photos)