Monday Morning Musings

Posted on August 22, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Morning has broken

 

What does your paradise look like?

I woke early yesterday and started my day by reading a gut wrenching, first person account of the strife in Syria… and then went for a walk.

Perspective.

We cannot possibly imagine what others go through on a daily basis, here or abroad. Everyone is faced with trials and tribulations. But if you have the opportunity and good fortune to go for a walk, it might help you appreciate the simple things in life… which could very well be a person’s paradise.

First, there is the stillness of the early morning. It is cool and September lurks around the next corner. The birds love the morning and celebrate it with songs of joy. A woman walks her dog. They both appear happy.  It seems like almost every property is adorned with beautiful flowers and shrubbery, certainly providing a living, breathing picture of paradise. Two young university students run past me chattering without a care in the world. The air is clear and the sky is blue.

Off in the distance, a church bell tolls, beckoning people to come, congregate and worship. Many choose the outdoors as their place of sanctuary. Indeed , for many, the outdoors is their paradise. They are not waiting to leave this world to experience it.

I meet an old friend who is out walking… with his coffee cup! A family member is about to embark on a journey to a far flung corner of the world. They had a going away party the night before and good judgment meant that his car had to be retrieved the next day.

The town is waking up as more cars appear on the streets. Many will go to their favorite coffee shop and share stories about the Olympics, the Blue Jays and possibly the twists and turns of the U.S. Presidential race. For some, a “ double double” is as close as it gets to paradise!

As I round the final turn on my way home, I hear the bells of Town Hall peal nine times. Despite the squabbles that inevitably arise with elected officials, disputes are, thankfully, resolved peacefully. We often grumble about democracy. We shouldn’t.

The sound of a gurgling Brierly Brook greets me as I arrive back at our apartment.

What does your paradise look like?

I see paradise all around me.

Have a great ( and grateful ) week.

P.S. Merle Taylor rocks…. in case you didn’t know it.!!!