appreciate. {reverb10 – day 14}
::
What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in
the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?
::
I could have several answers to this question. In fact, there could be a list. But the questions says “one thing.” It’s always so hard to narrow anything down to just one thing, all the choices that we have to throw away if we decide on just one.
I could have said life. The fact that I breathe, that I wake up and get out of bed every morning. Of course, we all do that, but five years ago I had a health scare, and ever since then, I don’t take these things for granted quite so much. And life is a pretty big one thing.
I could have said being an artist. I have worked as a graphic artist for 24 years, and as a jewelry artist for five, but it wasn’t until this year that I actually started calling myself artist.
I could have said writing, I’ve always written, poetry started flowing from my veins when I was thirteen. I was published, years ago, in some (very small) literary magazines, but it wasn’t until this year that I began to call myself writer.
But underneath all of these things, hiding under the covers down near my feet, is something that trumps them all, something that it took me 48 years to learn to appreciate.
The moment.
Living in it, writing in it, breathing it in.
Appreciating it as it happens. Not waiting for tomorrow or next year to live the life I want. Not rushing through life with my head down and my nose to the grindstone.
Living where I am, right now, right this second. Wherever I am. Whoever I am with. Whatever I am doing.
I know it sounds cliché. And I am okay with that. Because until I’d learned to do it, it was cliché. And don’t get me wrong, I have not mastered being present. I still forget to do it, quite often. I get busy and distracted and it all goes out the window.
But I know how to get back there. I know where my moment is.
It’s right here, all around me.
And I express my gratitude
by living in it.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:23 am
I am with you in this… oh, so with you. Sometimes those responses that sound cliche are cliche for a reason… they are true.
What I see as NOT cliche is that you are LIVING it, not only talking about it… you are intimate with the moment, you are engaged with the moment, your heartbeat and the moment are one.
It is so clear through your blog posts here for Reverb10.
Cheers to learning and integrating at whatever speed we learn! I am grateful to read your words today for #Reverb10.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Oh, no… not cliché at all. That ability to be in the moment is so elusive. Finding it and appreciating it is a feat that should not go unrecognized.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:33 am
I really enjoyed reading this. I’ve just written about appreciating where I am, as well. I’m having one of those days when I’m suddenly discovering lots of lovely UK-blogs, so thank you for sharing that.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I don’t know how many ways I can tell you how fabulous your posts are. I don’t know how many ways I can tell you that you inspire me. So I’ll just say that this and you could never be cliché. Living your life is the most original thing you could do <3
December 14th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Ah yes. Living in the moment. A force to be reckoned with. Not as easy as it sounds. An old hippie named Ram Das wrote a book called “Be Here Now” It takes hard work but it is a worthy goal.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:08 am
So beautifully said. I should print this out and read it daily as a reminder.
December 14th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Sorry to hear about your health scare but so glad you’ve found yourself able to be in the moment, it’s a wonderful place to find yourself.
December 14th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
what beth said. so much easier said than done, it’s why it takes us so many years to figure out how to actually do it. yes, kids start out that way, but life gets in the way, and probably on purpose, so that we can learn this again, can appreciate it. so that we see what a gift it truly is.
ps – that image – the teardrops on the branch. inspired.
December 14th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Living in the moment. A day at a time. What more do we need than that? By the way, Dad and I loved the photo.
December 14th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Beautiful again. I’m not very good at being in the moment, but it is definitely something worth being your one thing to appreciate.
December 14th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
This is lovely. And really, in the end, the moment is all you can appreciate – and it’s the hardest thing to appreciate!
December 14th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
it`s not cliché, it`s indeed very true. we just forget it far too often. thanks for the reminder and best from snowy berlin.
December 14th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
My one thing this past year would be the house and the property where my husband and I live. It’s not ours, never will be. But it’s ours to live in now. And for that I am truly grateful.
Your photo here is incredibly wonderful.
December 14th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
“And I express my gratitude by living in it.” – This got me goose-bumpy. I feel like the place you’re describing is, from the perspective of my life, just becoming visible on the horizon. It’s comforting to have pioneers out there letting me know it’s not some sort of mirage. Thanks!
December 14th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
I see my nieces on FB basically wishing their lives away with wall posts that are always wishing it were some day in the future. For some reason it takes an older and wiser person, in most cases, to appreciate the now not the later. Great post!
BTW…how did you achieve that marvelous shot?
December 14th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Go, girl! That is an accomplishment and SO something to appreciate. Also, I’m glad you are calling yourself an artist and a writer now, though I just met you, it’s obvious you always have been those things.
The picture, alone, holds such beauty in this moment. Wonderfully powerful and present post.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Breathtaking. I simply love this. Thank you.
December 15th, 2010 at 2:17 am
i’m in love with that image!!!! so beautiful and out of this world. i missed the whole reverb thing – i miss much of the good stuff out here :). i think i need to do a bit of reading and catching up, and thinking through all the questions myself…a good thing to do regardless.
December 16th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Not cliche at all. It sounds wondrous. It sounds like somewhere I want to be.