Slowing Down & Seeing

This is an unprecedented time.

For many of us, the anxiety related to the uncertainty about our loved ones & our own physical and financial health is overwhelming.

I’ve been dealing with that anxiety too.  I find that one day is relatively good and the next day not so good and I’d like to stay under the covers all day.

Had a sweet moment today though that I’d like to share with you.

My almost-89-year-old Dad has been in the hospital the last few weeks and is expected to be discharged to his home later this week.  (He’s doing much better!)

I was chatting with him tonight, and telling him about some of the springtime loveliness that is occurring in our yard in Southern California.  Yesterday we watched a bird methodically take little branches from a tree and disappear into an olive bush we have in the front yard.  And then a few days ago. I was sitting out back with our dog Parker.  This little finch was just hopping around the yard taking goodies from our plants – I was so surprised that Parker didn’t try to chase the bird – he just sat still.  Maybe he knows chasing birds is pretty fruitless.

And then the dogwood tree started blooming for the first time!

This dogwood tree is special.  About 10 years ago, my husband brought a cutting home from my parent’s yard in Pennsylvania.  2500 miles!

And the tree grew and is lovely and provides some nice shade, but it never flowered – until now!

So, it was sweet – telling my Dad about the dogwood finally blooming after all these years.

And my Dad said that it’s times like these, when our lives are upended and we have more time to see things we normally wouldn’t pay any attention to.

So true.

How many little things are you seeing now that you would have missed a month ago?

And how are you doing in these unprecedented times?