Looking toward the good

It's a familiar phrase: Life is a matter of perspective. The same holds true all year, including this fall season, when we not only welcome in the dazzling colors of autumn, but also numerous visitors to these Green Mountains we love. Some folks are making their first trip, while others have made numerous journeys north and have forged some longtime local friendships along the way. Indeed, the traffic can be tough, but it’s also a time of sharing our home — this beautiful Vermont — with others. Any time we’re going about our daily routines, that connection can happen in this land we all love. 

I had such an experience earlier in the week, when making my way through South Woodstock and stopping several times to explore some new photo angles on some favorite vistas. With the distant mountains in sight at one location, I stopped — but I wasn’t the only one. Another car approached from the opposite direction, with another behind it. For a moment I thought I might have to move, to avoid an impending mini traffic-jam. But I calmly went about my business, needing to change camera lenses for a better shot. I came back out to see the driver who had stopped near me, with camera in hand to capture the view while the late-afternoon sun still brightened the mountaintops. “Pretty irresistible isn’t it?” I said, pointing into the distance. “Oh I know!” came the cheerful reply. 

In a few minutes, we both went our separate ways, but having shared that joyful moment and a few smiles — all because we both wanted to see and remember the same beautiful, quiet place in the Greens. 

As we roll into the holiday weekend, opportunities for kindly moments of connection with others will be plentiful. They might come up where they’re least expected, too. But whatever happens, there remain many good moments in the world, even when major issues arise and appear unmovable. When we embrace even brief instances of good and share them with others, a bit more peace abides in the world at that precious moment. And those times are not the exception to any rule, but they reflect who we naturally are. As we let that spirit of peace inspire us, every interaction becomes an opportunity to see the good in others. The uplifting effect is harmonious, restful, and an open gift each of us can always experience.

— Gareth Henderson

Gratitude: A daily gift

A forest illuminated along River Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Autumn officially arrives Wednesday, and we've all been experiencing the cooler nights, the falling leaves, the later sunsets — all harbingers of a new season dawning.

As those familiar signs build upon one another, the relative peace in nature offers a striking difference against the news we see and hear every day, as it often does. From economic peril and racial divides, to political tensions and food insecurity, there can seem to be little hope on the horizon for the world to overcome obstacles, make progress, and succeed together. The news cycle often feels like a washing machine with a broken off-switch.

The constant barrage of these ideas can quickly feel overwhelming, crushing out the reality that we still have access to hope, love and harmony. But it is important to look for that sliver of light every day, and strive to see it. That light illustrates the ever-present goodness that fuels each of us to do better. Every day, at the center of that light, is an opportunity to give gratitude for what each of us has, instead of longing for what another has, or comparing material possessions. Though we may not realize it, that comparison-mode can give root to negative thinking — even divisive thoughts.

Each day, I give gratitude for where I live, the love and safety of my community, my health, and for each day that the sun rises and sets. This brings to mind a line from the famous Ernest Hemingway novel, "The Sun Also Rises" — “Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?"

Giving gratitude helps ground your day in goodness instead of lack, in harmony instead of tension, and it never stops letting in the light. When that news-cycle washing machine revs up and it feels like too much, we can always mentally look up and know we have a way to be grateful and spread goodness — even when life is sending constant challenges. And we can inspire others to do the same, making gratitude a daily gift, from us, to the world.

— Gareth Henderson

A season of transformation

Fog adorns the trees at Faulkner Park in Woodstock, Vermont, on Thanksgiving morning. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

As the holiday wraps up and the weekend comes into view, nature enhances the majestic calm of late autumn, as the land gracefully yields to changes and embraces a new season.

Fog settled in early Thanksgiving morning throughout southern Vermont as light rains visited the area. At Faulkner Park in Woodstock, a beautiful calm embraced the land along with the fog, which adorned the treetops as some drizzle fell to the ground. Fallen leaves surrounding the trees left another sign we're heading into the colder months quickly, but still have a little time to observe some snowless land as autumn heads toward its final weeks.

For me, the calm, reflective silence of the fall expresses its greatest beauty. Today, this season invites us to ponder the past year and what it's meant to us, to cherish lessons learned and open up to new ones. Autumn is as transitional as it is transformative — it moves us gradually into winter, when the earth spends months of cold to prepare for the newness of spring. Similarly, times of reflection can point us toward progress, make us aware of opportunities and prepare us for greater things ahead. That path toward progress can appear when we least expect it. That's when life surprises us, but the opportunities to seize such moments are some of the greatest gifts we have.

— Gareth Henderson