Some Thoughts

Yesterday evening, my son and I spent a long time looking at a caterpillar.  It was quite small, and if I had been alone, I probably would have walked right by it without giving it a second thought.  For Ben, though, the caterpillar was the most fascinating creature he had seen all day.  He squealed every time it moved, wanted to touch it (though we had to have a lesson on being gentle), and even tried holding it.  And then, he talked about his encounter with the caterpillar the rest of the night.

I was really taken by Ben’s complete joy in such a simple thing.  The caterpillar did not have flashing lights or fun noises.  It wasn’t made by Fisher Price, nor did it come with special effects.  But watching the caterpillar brought him incredible joy.  It made me think about how often I stop to enjoy the simple things . . . probably not often enough.  Especially when living in today’s world with an uncertain economic future, what a gift it is to be able to pause and give thanks for a caterpillar!  What simple thing brought you joy today?

“‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free . . .” – Joseph Brackett