Fresh Perspectives

Living gratefully today, I appreciate my recovery friends and the laughter we share. Drunken laughter was fleeting. Recovery laughter lingers and touches our hearts. 

Fleeting. Each moment is fleeting. It comes and goes, often unnoticed. That moment is gone, and the person we were in that moment is also gone. We are really in a constant state of change. It may often be subtle, but then there are the moments and days that bring sudden shifts. Both the subtle and the sudden transform us in truly remarkable ways. Maybe through pain. Maybe through deep joy. Maybe both. 

Nature is also always dynamic. The seasons are a wonderful example of this. My favorite stretch of trail to run, walk, and bike is in part my favorite because I experience it a little bit differently each time I travel it. Sunlight or clouds, early or late in the day, spring or fall; the awe-inspiring scene in front of me is always new, fresh in that moment. 

I will miss the rich greens and full foliage of summer, but this fall perspective offers a different view. Less cluttered and more far-reaching. To me, there is much beauty and awe in these photos I took yesterday afternoon: 

There are endless analogies and metaphors that could be referenced here. At the age of 56, I certainly look at these changing seasons with a different perspective than I did at 16, 26, 36, or 46. Changing seasons, recovery work, practices in living gratefully all leave me knowing more clarity, feeling more peace. Welcome fresh perspectives. They are often our best teachers.