Walking Against the Wind

It has been pretty windy in our parts lately. So windy, that I've decided to put off washing my hair for just one more day because it's just going to look windblown anyway. So why even try?

My thoughts digress to my sister's comment that one of the reasons she likes the wind is that it gives one's hair an excuse to "look this way"...

I will rein myself in and write what I intended to write. I'm running out of time this morning because I made a deal with our cat "I'll sleep a little longer if you cuddle up beside me". He did. Now I'm running out of time.

Anyway ...

Whenever we go out walking, it seems we always walk into the wind on the first lap of our walk. Our only consolation is that very same wind will be on our backs on our way home and make the walk easier and more enjoyable.

Yesterday, we walked to the library. I never even thought of the wind. Until we came home.

We turned around and faced the opposite direction and walked directly into a very windy day. Immediately I thought, "Why do we never notice resistance unless we are walking into it?"

When life is going along as we expect it to, do we stop and appreciate that we are not wading through the mire to get where we need to go?

When we wake up each morning and our body does what we want and expect it to, do we stop and realize how fortunate we are?

When traffic flows easily and we hit all the green lights as we make our way to our destination, do we really notice that fact?

When children come home from school, husbands come home from work and everyone gets to and from their destination without incident do we really stop and think about the little miracles that take place each and every day, all along our way?

We are more apt to notice when life feels hard. We take note of how hard it is to wake up. We really notice when we wake up with a sore neck. Then there is the traffic. Why does it seem whenever you are running late, you run into red lights and delays all along your way?

I know I take it for granted, but in the same breath I am grateful each day when my son comes home from school. I like it when my adult sons check in, so I know they are okay in their worlds but I don't lose sleep over the days (weeks) when I don't hear from them either.

Each and every one of us wakes up to a unique set of circumstances. We trust our day will unfold in a somewhat predictable manner. When all goes (pretty much) as we expect day after day, month after month it is easy to become complacent.

I guess I'm grateful for a little resistance from time to time. It helps me appreciate the little things just a little bit more.