Last Friday, while on my way out to Krause Springs, my next door neighbor texted me out of the blue to say that I needed to move my car from the driveway because they were going to be cutting the big tree next door. Luckily, I had an extra set of keys for her to move my car. When I got home from a relaxing day of swimming in the springs, I was shocked to see that what I thought would be a simple tree trimming, actually turned out to be a tree scarring.
The sight of the tree stump made my heart sink and my neighbor said it best when she said it hit her right in the heart chakra. As I stood there staring at the stump that felt like a scar, memories of the big ol' tree that shaded our driveway for the last 5 years came to mind and I couldn't help but feel sad that I hadn't ever taken a picture of the Australian Ash in all those years. The sun was now shining bright on the driveway and on our cars. The last thing my neighbor said was that at least our cars wouldn't always be covered in bird poop. She had a good point. We traded having a shaded, cool car for a now clean looking, steamy hot car to step into on these summer days.
I walked over to the stump to take the picture above and began to think about how having the tree right next door added so much more character to our duplex, making it a more pleasant and peaceful place to come home to each day. Throughout the seasons, the tree provided what we needed to stay mindful of the simple things. In winter, the leaves would all fall. In spring, the leaves would begin to grow again while the squirrels, birds, and cats enjoyed its revival. In summer, it gave us shade to cool down and during the fall, it stood bold as it swayed in the breeze. This tree did more than just stand there, it reminded us of life.
The irony is that in just one week, I will be moving out of this place that I've called home for 5 years because the universe has been whispering for me to make change. Just as I decide to leave, the universe decides it's time for the tree to go as well. Every time I think of packing up and leaving, I feel nostalgic because of the many memories I've made while living here.
Since moving here in 2010, the changes I have experienced internally have been transformational. I owe a lot of my healing and growth to the environment that this place has offered. Living next to Blunn Creek nature preserve, the jogs/walks past Saint Edwards University's beautiful campus, the hill that fills up with bluebonnets and wildflowers in the spring, the 90 year old man named Orville that I stop to visit with during my jogs who calls me Angel, my neighbor Linda who has been a wise and loving mentor for me, the fat cat named Sasha who stole my heart last summer during her brief stay in the hood, and the boys next door, Richard and Justin, who helped me to feel more safe knowing that they were just a stones throw away in case I ever got scared.
I share these personal details of my life because these are the common things that I have tried to feel gratitude for each day. For me, this is what life is about. When you appreciate the simple things, you begin to discover that happiness is and always was there, even when you were too distracted to notice and feel it. Staying mindful of the simple things that bring you joy makes it a life worth living.
What are the simple things in your world that help you to feel more connected and fulfilled?
The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.
~Henry Ward Beecher - 1813-1887, Clergyman, Social Reformer, and Speaker