Thankful Sunday...magic

So...this is where the previously mentioned flight to Orlando gets explained.  I invited myself on a trip to Disney World with my brother's family.  I took a red-eye flight out of Salt Lake. I landed in Florida at 5 something in the morning and hit the ground running. We spent a day at Magic Kingdom, a day at Animal Kingdom, and a day at Epcot. I am so grateful that I got to go with little people.

Thankful Sunday...Be prepared

So I missed writing this one last week, but I have thought about it all week long.  Last Sunday night I caught a plane to Orlando (more on that to come), but only after a nearly two and a half hour drive to get to the airport.  It was the middle of a storm. Traffic moved slowly and people were irresponsible on the roads. My driver was willing to slow down, take his time, follow the big trucks, pull over to make sure that he could see through his windshield, and just make sure that he got me to the airport safely. We made it. He was prepared; we were safe. I was so grateful. 

Thankful Sunday...Perspective

I went snow shoeing with a couple of friends yesterday.  Quiet and nature have a tendency to make me think.  We were talking about books when one of us stopped rather dramatically to look at a bug making it's way across the snow.  It was probably in the 40s, but she was still flabbergasted by the fact that the bug was not hibernating, but wandering around on the snow.  When she stopped to inspect it, it quit moving and the thought came to my mind that it was trying to blend in. You know...with the dirt. If I don't move, they won't see me, yes? Then for some reason I thought of the life span of a bug. That poor bug probably won't know anything other than a world covered with snow. While I love winter, I can't imagine a life with nothing but winter. It made me exceptionally grateful for a lifespan that allows for seasons-multiple times over. I'm grateful that I live in a part of the world that has seasons.  There's nothing quite like a summer evening.  There's nothing like a first snowfall. There's nothing quite like a meadow covered with snow. Lucky me gets them all.
Other moment of perspective.  I went to the movies on Friday night.  I saw Mary Poppins Returns. It won't win any awards. It won't change the world. I enjoyed it very much and it was exactly what I needed.  As I have been setting goals for this year and for my life the question that keeps crossing my mind is 'What do I need?' I don't know. I guess that's why it's the question for the year. I had a perfect moment of clarity while I was sitting in the dark, watching the street lighters dance and do tricks on their bikes. That's what I need. I need to slow down, enjoy a movie, spend time with those dear to me, and listen and watch for those moments of clarity.  They're there. The trick is to watch for them.