Some valuable words (first part of a poem) from a lovely American poet, Jane Kenyon, who died several years ago from cancer. She shared a genuine, honest, brave, and vulnerable attitude through her beautiful words, and she experienced sincere moments of gratitude.
Otherwise
I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love …
May you know peace and gratitude today in everything you do, knowing it could have been otherwise. That waking up this morning meant you get to receive the gift of today. That eating soup means you have warm food. That breathing means you are alive. That living means you are not dying. That walking in snow means your legs are working and the breeze is on your face. That responding to emails means you have friends who care. That the busyness of holidays means you have family. That the need for sleep means your body wants to give you rest. That heating up your kettle in the morning for tea or coffee offers a moment of connection with yourself. That quiet and stillness gives you pause to feel wonder by looking out your window to see birds and squirrels and snow falling to the bottom of branches and knowing that roots from trees are expanding even under the frozen grass and soil and snow. That you are in another January which means another new year and another fresh start. That all of this could have been otherwise.
But it wasn’t.
It could have been otherwise. I encourage you to embrace the gifts!
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Hi Debra– read this yesterday and the phrase “It might have been otherwise” has been floating through my mind since then. Those simple things of the poem– gifts, all of them. thank you.
Thank you for reading along. Everytime I think of the phrase “it might have been otherwise” (and even in reading it in your comment) I immediately feel so much more grateful for every little thing in my life.