Precious moments of gratitude

A farm in Illinois during our recent travels. (Chris Henderson Photo)

They come about when you least expect them, but, so very often, they’re right around the corner: moments of gratitude. Sometimes they’re for major positive changes in life; other times you’re compelled to reflect on the smaller things that, even in a slight way, shed light on the goodness all around us. For either instance, the serene beauty of nature can be a powerful example.

Recently when my wife and I were driving back to Vermont, after a visit to the Midwest, I awoke to an inspired scene just outside our hotel window in eastern Ohio. The dawning sun illuminated a small marshland with a river and woods just beyond it. The light danced on the tops of cattails in the wetland and on the trees in the distance. A group of birds flew overhead, just above this pleasant scene, and its expression of light dawning on shadow, and making it bright.

It was a brief moment, but I was grateful for the beauty it brought forward — showing that something so simple, can be so profound. It points to this time of year, in which the light of gratitude comes out in a more pronounced way, and it shows that gratitude is always possible, because goodness is really all around us, with its varied expressions. That goodness cares for us and reminds us of its constancy, even its ever-presence amid the shadows of life. In this holiday season, people are stepping up to help each other, to lift their communities up and be there for those in need. Good is still being realized and acted on. The true light of love is still shining. And no matter what the situation may be, something to be grateful for is always about to show up, many times just around the corner. This truth guides us and reassures us that we are all part of a natural, beautiful network of goodness. It is radiant and ready to touch every heart, with an abundance of precious moments.

— Gareth Henderson