Appreciate

An open mind embraces the wonders of the universe, where nothing is too insignificant.
- Katherine Adair

I am always in a constant state of amazement over how complex the wonders of the world are, how intricately and delicately balanced everything is in this phenomenal world we live. It is especially more poignant as our ecosystem is becoming more fragile because of our poor and often misguided treatment of our planet.

My husband and I have a beautiful drive to and from work, every day. We live out in the country and we have to cross over a mountain. We are often asked about our commute, which is between 22 and 25 miles one way to work (mine is 22). One side of the mountain is very curvy, but we find it just adds interest to the drive. We love it, but clearly other people would have serious trouble with it, especially in the winter. Regardless of the season, we think it’s spectacular.

The elk frequent the field behind out house. Today, I watched a hawk fly low over the tall, grassy field looking for rodents to feed on. Deer walk across the lawn by the house totally unafraid of our worthless watchdog. The orchard provides us fruit, the blackberries make great cobbler and wine, and the garden gives us fresh vegetables. On clear nights, we take the telescope out to look at the stars and constellations.

The community we work in is equally diverse. As it is a university town, we draw people from far and wide. There is a concerted effort to embrace and understand the diversity in our town so that acts of prejudice are eliminated. Though it is a work in progress, it is really wonderful how far we have come. Every culture has so much learn from, if we just open our minds and hearts to the wonders of each other.