Fresh Eyes

Fresh Eyes

Chuck and I were out taking our evening walk last night.  It’s something we’ve pretty much done every evening since we’ve been sheltering in place. It’s been a way to get out of the house, get some exercise, and breathe in some fresh air. 

Most of the time we walk the perimeter of our neighborhood which has a wide walking path. It’s a very familiar trek. Sometimes we venture into nearby neighborhoods checking out a new and different view. Sometimes we’ll even get in the car and drive down to the walking trails in our town. 

We were discussing how faithful we had been to walking over the last couple of months, and how it did require some self-discipline on our part. We were glad that we had walked most evenings, and hoped we would continue to do so while we had plenty of daylight. 

Yesterday as we were walking I happened to look up at the stone wall that encircles our neighborhood. Something caught my eye and made me stop. Right before me was a heart shaped stone that I had never noticed before. I immediately stopped to admire it, and snapped a quick photo with my phone. 

As I thought about it later I wondered if the stone mason who built the wall had noticed the unique shape of the rock, and had placed it just so? I also thought about how many times I had passed by that very spot, and had never noticed it before.

Isn’t that the way things are sometimes. You go through life not really noticing what’s right in front of you. You look for all the really big, special things while all the while something small and simple is right there begging you to notice.

I’m thinking on the next walk I might pay a little closer attention, and walk with a little more intention.