Be Still

This morning….

The trees were covered in bright, sunny yellow and rich, fiery red leaves.  The sun was just starting to shine through the birch trees in my backyard.  The rain isn’t a full on steady downpour yet, it’s just a mist.  The kind that doesn’t fall from the sky, instead it just kind of hovers over the yard and in the trees.  A breeze blows through, not a burst, or a strong push of air, but a light and gentle almost whisper of a wind.  And with just that little push, those beautifully colored, bright, and sunny leaves leap from the trees and seem to float, almost stand still in mid-air, before they fall to the ground and decorate the wet, green grass below.

It was like I was standing in the middle of a work of art.  I was surrounded by quiet beauty, and the world seemed still.

I was still.

That paints quite the picture of peace and serenity.  However, I am only showing you what was in front of me.  I haven’t let you see what’s going on behind me.  Those words up there are hiding the background.  The background is a completely different scene…..

The dog is somewhere out in the woods (which is why I was outside on the deck), the kids want breakfast, and bags need to be packed for the school day ahead.  The bus is almost here and no one has brushed their teeth.  Oh, and the bagels are burning in the toaster; what a delightful smell!

Now, it’s like I am standing in the middle of a loud and chaotic mess.  I am surrounded by what could be called the exact opposite of quiet beauty.

For a moment,

again;

I am still.

And in this moment, this crazy, messy, hurried moment, I can’t help but be grateful.

I am grateful for all that this new season holds and all that the previous one brought to us.  I am thankful for busy schedules because they help me appreciate quiet moments.  I want to be still for just a little longer because these chaotic mornings will be over before I know it.  Pretty soon the falling leaves will turn to snowflakes, and Thanksgiving will be Christmas, and then another year will be starting.  I am grateful for THIS moment.  This beautiful, chaotic, we are going to miss the bus, hurry up and put your shoes on moment.

I will choose happy this week because sometimes the loud, chaotic background is beautiful too.