Lift Up Your Hearts!

With one friend recovering from a life-threatening illness, and another still in the midst of one, I shouldn't need anything special to remind me that it's good to be alive. But today was one of those days when the physical elements combined to emphasize the point.

It's an extra pleasant day whenever we can open the doors and windows and let some of the outside in, so today started out well. At least three times a week we take a midday exercise break at a nearby park, and today's was especially pleasant. Physical exercise is the excuse for the trip, but it is not the only benefit. I make a point of looking at the sky, watching the clouds and the birds and the airplanes overhead, changing my persepective. The jogging trail goes through the woods, and today I stopped to watch a squirrel, a cardinal, and a gopher tortoise going about their business. Because part of the trail was flooded, I was forced to bushwack a bit, and that brought its own pleasures, including the sight of some lovely wildflowers. The sunshine provided my day's quota of vitamin D in the most pleasant way possible, and no doubt conferred other benefits. (I learned from our time in Boston that sunshine really is a vital commodity; in Florida one tends to take it for granted.) Back home, we enjoyed the first swim of the season. At 68 degreees, the pool water is refreshing to say the least, but especially invigorating.

Too bad I can't follow up such pleasure with a two-hour nap.... :)