I like to walk! And I walk a lot! One of the gifts of being retired is the freedom to spend lots of time walking. I usually walk four miles in the mornings before the sun comes up. Which means that over the last year I have probably walked about 1,000 miles. When I did that bit of mental calculation this morning it left me a bit stunned. It really is a powerful experience to just be present in the moment, putting one foot in front of the other and seeing where you end up.

This morning on my walk I had the experience of getting out of the way and simply being present to the gifts which showed up. I watched the gathering light color the sky. I startled a bird, which in turn startled me. I heard an owl call. I witnessed not one, but two foxes run across the field right next to where I was walking. I was very much alive and filled with a sense of awe and wonder and peace. I had a sense of being in interdependent coexistence with everything. And all it took was showing up and minding my own business. Everything else flowed from there. Life really is a gift, and sometimes I manage to remember to receive it as such. Gratitude abounds.