Barbara K. Richardson
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ROOST

8/16/2012

6 Comments

 
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I am going to stick my neck out here in a not very stick-your-neck-out way. I’m going to ask this question: what if are we here to appreciate? what if our place in the natural order is as appreciators? And I am going to say that the answer is yes.

I have been sick for a week, so the simplest things feel miraculous—walking upright, getting muddy feet, scrubbing the kitchen sink, eating chicken soup, everything feels new. I appreciate overcast skies and the vigor of weeds and the hair coming off of my dog’s body in danderous blizzards. She’s losing her summer coat. All the signs out in the world say autumn’s coming. Nothing more poignant than autumn. No better time to step up and appreciate.


The challenge is to save your own life by shifting from consumption to appreciation. If you don’t, you’ve missed your real calling. The human tool we tend to hold dearest, our chatty judgemental greedy mind, is only a servant of other greater tools we rarely use: observation, intuition, awareness, clear seeing, spontanteous generosity and appreciation of the whole.

Since you are here now, why not be here now?

There are thousands of practical ways to be the world’s appreciator. Most are highly pleasant. The world welcomes every one.

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Watch birds

Touch flowers

Draw light and shadow

Investigate open fields

Nap inside a really old barn

Harvest the windfall apples of a forgotten tree

Go homemade, anything

Follow a dog’s meandering trail

See that dog take interest in every scent

Laugh when that dog cavorts with joy

Put your belly on the ground and just relax

Do it again

Send anguish into the earth where it belongs

Gather fresh ingredients for a meal

Smile as cottonwood leaves flap in the wind

Steep tea from wild peppermint

Get bug-level, let go of your agendas and observe

Your life has one request of you: please spend twenty minutes every day interacting with nature. Pleasurable appreciation is the only requirement. Give your monstrously overworked ego a break. 
Ego 

does 

not 

rule 

the 

roost. 


Ego is the ridged black inchworm the chickens eat for supper.
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6 Comments
Verna Wilder link
8/16/2012 05:33:14 am

I love this post! Appreciation costs nothing to give, is always available, it always appreciated, and always makes the appreciator and the apreciatee happy. You can't order it online or from a catalog, you can access it by simply being aware. Today I am SO appreciating the cooler weather, my bare feet against a hardwood floor, the sound of birds in the trees, and my washing machine, which is chugging away to clean my sheets. Thanks so much for the reminder, Barbara. I hope you are feeling much better.

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Barbara Richardson
8/19/2012 12:28:25 am

Thanks, Verna. Awareness is key. Autumn just wakens up all my receptors. I love this time of year.

Reply
Jana link
8/16/2012 07:18:47 am

Today's appreciation checklist: picked apples from the tree, found one ripe tomato in my jungle garden, read words written by someone other than myself. Thank you.

Reply
Barbara Richardson
8/19/2012 12:29:58 am

Jana—Pass along any apple recipes you have. There's a tree in our commons area that's pinking up nicely. Cannot wait to make applesauce. I may even venture into apple brandy!

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Pam Stone link
8/16/2012 10:35:11 am

Appreciating good health...yours and Judy's....had a celebration last night. Lovely post!

Reply
Barbara
8/19/2012 12:30:53 am

Glad to hear of celebrating in SLC. Can't wait to see you two in October!

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