We’ve all watched kids laughing at a joke, then asking that the joke be retold, and laughing again just as heartily the second time, and finally entreating us to retell the same joke. Somehow, for young children, on the third recounting (if it happens at all), the joke remains as new and funny as the first time it was told.
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year. ~ Robert Frost
This is one key.
Suppose you’re shopping and discover a little boutique tucked away in a place you’ve never explored. Inside are all kinds of treasures. They’d make perfect gifts or even a special treat for yourself. Let’s say you purchase a wallet. You admire the hand-tooling, the soft leather, the rich color, and the comfortable size. You’re very pleased with your purchase. In the coming weeks, on each occasion that you use your wallet, you admire it. As the months pass, you begin to notice it less and less, until someone remarks about it, having just seen it. Oh, you reply, I got this a while ago, not giving the wallet further thought. So, what happened to your initial joy? Over time it disappeared. Why? Because everything we experience in life is subject to change.
Time is a dressmaker, specializing in alterations. ~ Faith Baldwin
Recognizing this is a second key.
Imagine yourself introducing Planet Earth to an alien from a distant galaxy. As you tell of Earth’s animals, plants, its sky, sun, oceans, and people … about love, kindness, compassion, you quickly come to realize how intricate and magnificent it is. Such recognition both renews a sense of proportion and inspires awe and gratitude.
There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein
This is another key.
Thumbnail image ~ Seagull Flight, Refugio Beach, California.
Image ~ above right ~ Yosemite National Park.
