Day 321 Unexpected Seasons

October 26, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

It is fall but we were looking for the vernal pond. My friend Brycia and I were walking on a nature path near her place when we saw a sign for a vernal pond. A vernal pool or pond is a depression, usually an impermeable ground area, that fills up with water in the spring and dries up in the fall. In the spring, these areas are often rich amphibian breeding areas. From them emanates one of my favorite spring sounds—peepers. Several years ago, I followed the sound during a spring visit with friends in Virginia. I discovered many bubble-like spots in a small body of water. As it turned out, these were the eggs that would hatch even more peepers to delight my ear.

I would expect that at this time of the year, any vernal pond that Brycia and I found would be an ugly dried up muddy area. As it turned out, we discovered a small, peaceful pool of water with fallen leaves floating on the surface like multicolored gems. I suspect it is more beautiful right now than it was earlier in the spring.

Sometimes the seasons in our lives bring unexpected beauty and peace. Years ago when I was going through a difficult time in my life, I did not anticipate that I would experience the depth of joy that I have found in a later season of my life. 

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”         ~ Albert Camus

My gift today is an autumn walk with a friend.

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> Day 322: Aligning

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html