I love
fall, the cinnamon, crisp air, my dog’s paws crunching the fallen leaves, the
variations of browns and oranges… I love
the barren branches reaching towards the sky like long fingers searching for a
lover’s hand. I love the grey skies that
engulfs life in a shade of grey and keep people inside in fear of rain. I love walking in silence with my dog
trailing behind and sometimes running ahead with a tail dancing in the wind and
a curious nose clinging close to the ground.
He often stops at a bush or a fallen branch, erects his ears, sniffs and
if the smell dissatisfies him marks it, lifting his head when finished with a
proud smile like he has accomplished a great feat. He listens to the crackling leaves and the
wild sounds that come together to create an autumn song, sometimes I can see
his ears attentively moving to capture every noise. When we arrive home he plops on the carpet
enjoying a treat satisfied with another day’s exploration. He’s not one of those annoying dogs that disrespectfully
jumps and licks, no, only occasionally when he truly knows I need affection will
he politely lay next to me and offer a few consolatory licks. He’s the quiet type, rarely barks and when he
attempts to howl at the sound of a passing ambulance - it’s hard not to
chuckle. I love creation, whether it’s a
beautiful landscape or my perfect, furry companion. To me the natural world connects me to God,
it allows me to catch glimpses of His majesty and to believe in His great love-
for who can give us an entire universe, speak things into being or simply breathe
life into existence.
In Mexico,
we had a small farm and my brothers were sheep herders during summer
breaks. My brother-in-heaven used to
take our sheep out into the wild and climb a cherry tree while the sheep grazed
the fields. I love thinking of him high
on a tree plopping cherries into his mouth and enjoying the natural wonders of
God (Michoacán (where I
am from in Mexico) is known for its stunning forests). While my brothers took leave every morning
with the sheep, I stayed home and helped care for the rabbits and chickens. I would give them feed, but mostly spend
hours playing with my friends. During
certain times of the year my little pueblo would have celebrations that would
send us out into the forests. Like once
a year the fields would produce mushrooms and this would send all the children
into the forests to collect the delights for consumption. I remember going out pail in hand with my
friends to pick mushrooms and we would have so much fun filling our buckets
with the mana from heaven. During the summer, the fields would become
inundated with Amapolas (the
native flowers of Michoacán) and again we would all leave our little pueblo and
go out into the woods to picnic and to pick flowers. I remember all the girls making beautiful
necklaces and wreaths for their heads, while the boys chased squirrels, the
women proudly shared recipes and the men laid beneath trees socializing. Those were such happy times!
Nature gave
us such joy and we thanked God simply by enjoying it. When I give someone a gift, let’s say a cute shirt
and I see my friend wearing it, it makes me so happy. In the same way, when we sit and contemplate
a blue sky, or close our eyes to feel the caress of the wind God rejoices
because He loves seeing us enjoy His gifts.
Sometimes we forget that in order to be great givers we need to practice
at becoming grateful receivers. We receive
from God so we can give to the world (smile).
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