It is 4:30 a.m. and I can't get back to sleep. Our dog, the chicken herder which just happens to be a Shi-tzu, woke me up with a kiss about a half hour ago because he was thirsty and wanted to go out. I forgot to fill the water dish before I went to bed and so our other dog, the big one drank all the remaining water and left none for the little dog. I couldn't get back to sleep and so I started thinking about why it is good to be alive. Here is what I think....
It is good to be alive...
when you smell the rich brown smell of the soil after the first real spring rain and the trees are starting to grow and the grass is starting to grow and the air is warm with the richness of life. Some call that ozone.... I call it creation.
It is good to be alive...
when you see the sparkles of the sun on water as it flashes and wavers with the movement of the earth and the air.
It is good to be alive...
when you wake in the morning with the soft warmth of a puppy dog kiss on your forehead, and then with a snuffle and a sigh the puppy snuggles into your body and you both go back to sleep.
It is good to be alive...
when you walk through the forest and you hear the crunch of the leaves beneath your feet and you smell the ripe smell of berries fermenting from the first frost of fall. Colour surrounds you with rich oranges, browns, and golds and you see your breath for the first time that year.
It is good to be alive...
when you feel the swell of the ocean and the thump, thump, thump, of the engine, beneath your feet as the boat you are on rises and falls on the tide that is bigger than any living thing but feels alive beneath you.
It is good to be alive...
when you open the door to go out and the sun is shining on the frozen air and there are millions of crystals surrounding you that sparkle like magic faerie dust.
It is good to be alive..
when you walk into an empty church and the silence is profound.
It is good to be alive....
when you smell a baby in your arms and they are clean and soft and fresh and new.
It is good to be alive..
when the first buds of the trees pop open and there is that beautiful chartreuse of spring in the air.
It is good to be alive....
when you hear the pretty voices of the birds when they start calling to their mates singing spring into being.
It is good to be alive....
when you hold the hand of your grandfather.
It is good to be alive....
when you lie on a trampoline with your children and stare at the clouds and listen to them talking about the shapes that they see.
It is good to be alive...
when you look at your husband (or wife) and know that the last twenty years feel like it has only been a year or two and you want the next twenty or more to slow down.
It is good to be alive...
when you know that growing old with this man (or woman) is what you want to do with the rest of your life.
It is good to be alive....
when your children give you a hug.... just because.
It is good to be alive...
with steaming hot chocolate in a mug, watching snow fall softly outside your window, blanketing everything in undulating white.
It is good to be alive...
when a butterfly lands on your arm and you don't breath because you don't want it to fly away, and when it does you feel privileged because you have been chosen over the beauty of a nodding flower.
It is good to be alive....
kissing in the pouring down rain.
It is good to be alive....
when you fall asleep at dusk in your lawn chair and wake up to the crystal white of the moon shining on you and your book is still in your lap and you don't feel cold because someone wrapped a blanket around you while you slept.
It is good to be alive...
when you haven't seen someone for a long time but the warm camaraderie of good friendship prevails through warm hugs, friendly chat, and happy silences.
It is good to be alive...
when the sun turns early morning fog yellow and the dew is heavy on the grass and sparkles brilliantly.
It is good to be alive...
when the crackle of the fire you just lit is magnetic and you want to watch the flames all night long.
It is good to be alive...
when the sun, low on the horizon, turns the tops of the trees pink, while everything else lays in the shadow of the earth.
It is good to be alive....
when you wake up with an arm and a knee slung over your body and you feel a bit like a Christmas present... all wrapped in love.
It is good to be alive...
when you have just read a good book or watched a good movie... and you wish it could go on for a just a little while longer.
It is good to be alive....
when your Dad hands you a twenty and says, "spend it on yourself," and you are 40 years old.
It is good to be alive....
when a bubble gum bubble pops and you have to spend twenty minutes washing it off your glasses.
It is good to be alive...
when you drive down a country road in a convertible and the poplar leaves that have fallen onto the road because it is autumn, swirl in the wake you create as you drive by.
It is good to be alive...
when you walk along a beach for miles and miles and then when you have gone a long way you turn around and see your footprints stretching out behind you.
It is good to be alive...
and write your name in the sand and watch it wash away with the next wave.
It is good to be alive...
and smell roses, or lilacs.
It is good to be alive....
and taste homemade bread still warm and fresh from the oven, smothered in butter.
It is good to be alive...
when you wake at night and hear the cry of coyotes (wolves too) a long way off but close enough to be thrilling.
It is good to be alive....
when an owl swoops past you and the only reason you see it is because you happened to notice movement out of the corner of your eye... but you didn't hear a thing.
It is good to be alive....
when you buy something leather and it has that new leather smell.... like a new car.... or a new leather coat.
It is good to be alive...
when you finish something you have worked on a long time and you are happy with it.
It is good to be alive...
when you crawl into bed a night and your back sighs with relief after a long day of hard work.
It is good to be alive...
when you remember all the times you had a really good belly laugh.... and you want to laugh till you cry again.
It is good to be alive...
when you write about 40 things that make you feel good to be alive and you have only just scratched the surface.
It is good to be alive...
when you go back to bed after you have been up early in the morning and the bed feels warm and comfortable and welcoming.
Bye bye!
1 comment:
that's beautiful, frankie!
:*)
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