A Year of Gratitude – October 31, 2024

I found my reason for gratitude by sitting still today. I gave myself the gift of a few minutes to just sit and take in the beauty around me. I don’t often give myself that gift, but today it was particularly wonderful thanks to this scenery.

It was a warm day with temperatures in the mid-70s, a rarity for New England on the last day of October. It was record setting warmth. It was also a reason to make sure that I spent time outside, soaking up the sunshine.

While there are still plenty of leaves on our trees, this Sugar Maple is near the end of its season. It drops golden leaves each fall, the prettiest leaves of any tree on our property. I look forward to them every year. They never disappoint me.

Today, as I noticed that the tree is more bare than not, I decided to sit for a few minutes and watch as more leaves fell to the ground below. With each gust of wind, a few would begin their dance from branch to ground. They would float a bit from side to side, until finding their place beneath this grand old tree.

As I watched the leaves fall, I also watched our Peace Flag flapping on the corner pillar of the front porch. And as I sat there, I found a bit of peace. What a gift it was to give that peace to myself, in this spot that I love, on a gorgeous sunny day.

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.