A Year of Gratitude – November 7, 2024

I found a reason for gratitude in a morning walk in the woods today. Our weather has been warmer than usual and I’ve done my best to get outside and try to enjoy nature before the entire landscape is frozen and covered in snow.

I love to listen to the sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot when I tromp around in the woods behind our old barn. As I walked through a clearing today, I came upon this tree and noticed the moss growing at the base.

There was something about the shape of the base of this tree, the way the moss was highlighted by sunshine, and the leaves nestled up against the tree that made me want to stop for a few minutes and just take it in fully.

I stood there and listened as songbirds called to each other. I could hear the sound of a squirrel or other small creature bounding in the leaves nearby. It was a real feast for my senses.

There’s so much life in small places if you stop to look closely enough. This layer of moss is an entire universe if you really stop to think about it, to consider the vibrant green moss, the tree trunk underneath, and the leaves that were clinging to the branches overhead not so long ago.

It’s beautiful when you think about it. At least it was for me today on a walk in the woods where it felt like I was seemingly all alone and kept company by nature.

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.