A Year of Gratitude – March 14, 2024

My gratitude was illuminated in sunlight today. I was grateful for daylight. I know that many people dislike this week following the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Sure, I could do without losing an hour of sleep early Sunday morning, but I’ll gladly accept it if I can have more daylight each evening.

There’s nothing I love more than taking a family walk after dinner. It’s such a calming way to end dinnertime, to take a stroll with my children and Penny Lane. I’ve missed it these last few months.

Tonight, we finished dinner and everyone pitched in to clean up, put things away, and get out the door with plenty of daylight left. Penny couldn’t wait to get outside. She loves these evening walks as much as I do.

Dusk was starting to settle in. The air was a bit brisk, although warmer than I would expect for March in New England. Instead of a heavy winter coat and wool hat, a jacket and spring hat were plenty warm.

We chatted about our days, about plans for tomorrow. We listened to the birds overhead. I hoped to hear a grackle or two, but they weren’t talking this evening. We heard rustling in the woods nearby. It sounded to be the size of a squirrel or a chipmunk. It was small enough not to capture Penny’s attention.

The sky turned a lovely pinkish color as we turned towards home. I felt my gratitude pass like a wave over me. I was grateful for this found daylight, for the fresh air, birdsong, and nature sounds to remind me that there’s a big world outside just waiting to be discovered each day.

We turned the corner for home, the farmhouse came into view, and I reminded myself of just how lucky I am to have a warm home to share with the people I love and who love me right back. A smile came across my face as I took a deep breath and tried to hold on to the warm feeling I had.

We lingered outside a few minutes as darkness settled in. Penny was eager to get back inside and settle in on the couch for a well deserved nap. We looked up at the crescent moon directly overhead and talked about how nice it was to have an evening walk.

I grabbed my chore boots and put the animals in for the night. I found three fresh eggs waiting for me in the chicken coop, a keeper’s reward for the day. I know that our hens are just as happy about the extra bit of daylight because they are starting to fill my egg basket. That’s one more reason to be grateful for more daylight.

I thanked the hens as I always do when I collect fresh eggs. They were on the roost, cozy for the night. They’ll be quiet until daylight returns tomorrow morning. Then they’ll be up and ready to take in every moment, to enjoy the new day. So will I.

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.