A Year of Gratitude – September 14, 2024

I found my gratitude in giving myself a moment to take a break today. I was running errands and had the idea to stop off at a park I drive by several times a week. It isn’t far from the farmhouse yet I haven’t been there in years.

Today, I decided to stop for a bit and just watch the water, the birds bobbing about on the waves, and enjoy the beautiful weather. I sat in the shade and listened as the boats went by. I watched leaves fall from the trees and float on the breeze until they had come to rest on the ground near my feet.

I didn’t spend long there, but it was enough to just relax for a moment, to take a break from everything that must be done or that needs to be done. Instead, the task that needed doing was giving myself a few minutes to have a break, short as it was.

It’s amazing how much it can help to take a few minutes. We know that it is effective, because we encourage little children to do it. We help them to have a few minutes to relax or just be quiet when the world is overwhelming.

Yet we don’t do the same for ourselves. We’re convinced that we can’t because life is too busy. To be fair, it often feels that way. It’s hard to take the time when there are so many tasks on your to do list.

I’m trying to be better about that. I’m realizing that giving myself a few minutes helps me to be more productive later on. Perhaps the few moments I spend actually save me time down the road. And if they don’t, they’re still worth taking. Everyone deserves a few minutes to gather themselves, to sit in the quiet and just ruminate in their thoughts or clear their mind entirely and get a fresh start.

Here’s to trying to do that more often.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.