Nature

A subtle chain of countless rings
The nest unto the farthest brings;
The eye reads omens where it goes,
And speaks all languages the rose;
And, striving to be man, the worm
Mounts through all the spires of form.~~~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature.  Most persons don not see the sun.
At least they have a very superficial seeing.  The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but
shines into the eye and the heart of the child.

Fall

I've often heard it said that many people dread fall; everything is dead and dying and those "awful" winter months are ahead.  But, I've always loved it. It's always felt fresh, invigorating, like the start of something interesting and exciting is about to happen.
I love the changing leaves, the changing temperatures, the change in the smell of the air.
Maybe it's the fear of change that those people dread.  But, change isn't always a bad thing.
I say embrace it, be brave and see what comes of it...it may be something wonderful.

Living like a child.

Remember when you were a kid? You hit the ground running at the first sign of daylight.  That exhilarating feeling of pure joy and abandonment, of not having a care in the world. Where the most mundane things could give you hours of joy.
An old box become a pirate ship taking you off to unknown lands to search for buried treasures.
A cornfield became the deep, dark rainforest and you were leading the expedition to find new land.
Any old piece of junk became a valuable wall or ceiling in your secret fort where no boys (or girls) were allowed.
Our possibilities were endless because we didn't limit ourselves. When you're ten, "they sky's the limit!"
Let's let go of our limits.
If we are actively searching and open to a life of joy and new experiences possibly the trying times won't seem quite so tough.
It's all in our perception! To many adults the morning light means, "ugh, I have to get up and force my way through the day, to a child it says, "woohoo! another day of adventure!"
I'll take the "woohoo" anyday!

Living Deliberately

"I went into the woods to live deliberately."  Henry David Thoreau
Is this a practice that has escaped most of us in our modern, busy and technology loaded lives?
We can't all be Thoreau, but it is possible to live deliberately within the realms of our own lives and modern times.
One of the most important things in our life is time! We fritter it away at alarming rates never realizing the huge loss of experiences, joys, and realizations. Money we spend; we can earn back, friends we lose; we can gain more,  things that are old, we buy new.  But, time is gone.
If there is one thing in our lives we should be miserly with it's our time. Use it freely, but wisely.
Is a ten hour work day more important that having time to play with your kids in the afternoon?
Is maintaining your perfectly well-kept house more important than spending time with an aging parent?
Is having a $30,000 car really going to make you happier in the long run than driving a clunker?
Be stingy with your time in regards to the material but freely give of yourself and your time to the world and
people around you.
Be courageous...find your own "Walden."