Shelves Restocked

Living gratefully today, I am noticing the various types of vehicles in our neighborhood this morning. It is garbage and recycle day. Workers at the golf course across the street are doing some tree trimming and the early morning golfers are arriving. I can hear and much is normal about the start to this day. Both are reassuring to me.

In the last few days I had made stops at more than one store, looking for a couple of items that I didn't think would be out of stock. In recent months we have gotten used to empty shelves, limits on some purchases, and the like as many ramifications of the pandemic trickle down. After frustration in my first attempts, I was treated yesterday to a single stop and the few items I was seeking were all available. 

Shelves restocked in stores at the same time that I am emptying shelves and file drawers in my office at school. We are advised to keep our desks cleared to make for easier cleaning, and in my mind less that could be susceptible to contamination. My office area has ample enclosed storage, and it felt good to clear some of the clutter when I was there yesterday. 

Restocking shelves doesn't always mean filling them back up. It can also mean taking stock of what is really important. Empty shelves provide a new view. Empty shelves remind us that we really didn't need what we thought we did, or at least it isn't urgent. 

And the shelf where I store my gratefulness?  It is both a physical place outside of me and a spiritual place within me. That is the shelf I try to replenish daily.