Sunday morning, I was too lazy to take the rain cover off my usual porch chair, and instead sat on the glider. My normal morning view is of the backyard squirrels and trees and birds and bees. My view on Sunday was the back of the house, the sky above, and the cement floor below. I sipped my coffee and looked up at the blue sky gradually being covered by clouds. I saw a pair of doves fly over. Once in a while I would look behind me to try and catch a glimpse of a chattering wren or to see what the squirrels were up to.
The squirrels have been busier than usual with gathering and burying nuts and keeping each other away from their perceived territories. Their activity reminds me of myself. If I am not busy and feeling productive, I tend to spiral into worrying about unfinished chores. I have much to do and little time, I think. There are so many things I should be doing and a long list of future projects. How can I possibly get everything done?
Then I looked down and spotted a snail moving across the damp cement. It would move about an eighth of an inch and stop. Then it would move another eighth of an inch and stop…and so on. I watched it until it had made it’s way all of a foot and disappeared into the garden. Watching the snail grounded me and cleared my mind. I took it as a sign for me to slow down a bit. To take small steps and progress will be made. And that I don’t have to do it all today…or ever. And it reminded me of my new personal mantra: Keep It Simple Sweetie
(this is my first blog post without a photo. I was in such a contemplation of the snail and my life, that I didn’t think about getting my camera and grabbing a photo until after it had disappeared into the leaves. But, that is okay…)
Natural Musings 