Gratitude and Delight . . . and a Peacock
I once heard Opra say that one way to access gratitude at a deeper level is to look for the things that delight you. I was thinking about this on my walk today with Bo. It was early in the morning at Irvine Park and while I was very grateful for the beauty around me, I wanted to see if I could find anything that truly delighted me. Immediately, I noticed the bouncy puppy manner in which Bo runs. To me it is a delight to watch a happy dog bounce around, in his element, chasing squirrels and bunnies that he has no hope or intention of catching. Immediately I noticed how good delight felt in my body, so I decided to keep looking. It wasn’t until the end of my walk, driving out of the park that I witnessed another incredibly delightful moment. One that has had me smiling all day.
If you know the Irvine regional park, you know that near the Children’s Zoo, peacocks can be found wandering about. You can hear them calling to one another and sometimes you get a glimpse of a male with his magnificent tail spread out. As I was heading out of the park, I noticed a lady feeding the peacocks. She was shaking her bag of feed, almost jumping up and down with childlike wonder when one started to come her way. She was brave and would approach the bird, then hop back if the bird came too close. Her interactions with the peacocks were so joyful. There was something familiar about her, even underneath her big hat and sun protected gear, and she was clearly having a delightful experience.
I was about two blocks from home when it struck me. I knew this woman! Colleen is someone I’ve always admired. I’ve seen her story up close over the past 30 years, from her rock solid faith and her beautiful family, to the positive way she handles some of the very biggest challenges of life. Let me tell you, if anyone would be joyfully playing with a peacock on an early Friday morning in the park, it would be Colleen. The image of delight stuck with me all day and I hope to make it a more regular part of my life. (Thanks Colleen)
Remember, what you water . . . grows. Why not focus on delight and see what appears in your life?