Mushrooms. Wow!

Living gratefully today, I appreciate seeing things with fresh eyes, like the ironing board that hangs in our basement. It is over 40 years old and doesn't get used often, but I am thankful every time I need it.

What is something you have walked past dozens of times lately and not noticed? Look for one thing today to give a few moments focus to, and then send it some gratefulness for existing.

Speaking of gratefulness for existing, there were mushrooms in my roasted vegetables for lunch yesterday. And then scrolling on Facebook, I came across a "World Soil Day" video (which was December 5) from the incredible cinematographer and filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. It brought my son Sam to mind. He is studying agronomy, which includes soil science. I appreciated the connection and showed the video to Sam when I saw him shortly after.

Back to those mushrooms though. As I kept looking through some more of Schwartzberg's work, I came across this mini-lesson on mushrooms. It's actually a movie trailer. 

The visuals alone are something to behold, but so are the facts.  

Some highlights: 
"I believe Nature is intelligent."  Louie Schwartzberg

"These mushrooms, they can heal you, feed you, kill you. " mycologist Paul Stamets

"There are about 300 miles of fungi under every footstep we take. Every footstep. And this is 

everywhere on earth."  Suzanne Simard, Ph.D. 

The network created by fungi in the natural world is as complex as the human-created internet. 

There is also current research into psilocybin to help treatment-resistant depression patients.

I have never considered mushrooms for more than a few minutes really. This was all eye-opening. 

Isn't that the point? Let's open our eyes today and notice. Notice the wonder that surrounds us. 

Consider the wonder beneath us.