My husband's cell phone rang sharply at 6 am.
"Nothing good comes from a phone call that early in the morning," I thought as I listened intently to try to figure out with whom he was talking. When I figured it out, I rolled my eyes and ignored the conversation. When Mike got off the phone I asked him what his friend wanted and why was he calling so early in the morning? I went on to say that if I had actually been asleep at that time, I would not have been happy about being awakened.
"He asked me if I had seen the moon," Mike replied.
The words were barely out of Mike's mouth before I exclaimed, "What?!"
"He called you at 6 am to ask if you had seen the moon?"
Mike just laughed and went outside to look at the moon which could not be seen at our house because it was covered by clouds.
A while later as I was milking the cows, I started thinking about the phone call and the friend. Instead of being so critical, I began to appreciate the call. Don't we all need more friends who take time out of their day to encourage us to observe our natural world? I don't know about you, but I appreciate having my life influenced by someone who takes the time to consider what Nature is trying to teach us. How much time and consideration do we give to all of the things that do nothing but make us more stressed out and less in tune with the world around us? How much happier would we be if we took more time to really appreciate the present? The answer is simple and clear and yet how quickly do we forget?
I didn't see the moon that morning but I did hear a flock of geese flying overhead as I exited the barn. I felt the strength of the sun on my face after some bitter days. I heard the singing of the mountain stream swollen from melted snow and ice. I recalled the sound of the screech owls I had been hearing recently as they ready their nests and begin laying eggs for early spring babies. I stopped to pay attention to the deer grazing in the meadow and the wild turkeys scratching nearby. I watched a pair of brightly colored cardinals, the male in deep red and the female with orangish cap and beak eating at the bird feeder. I took the time to really look at the woodpecker hanging upside down, pecking at a block of suet. I noticed the bark on the Maples, the needles on the pines, and the Usnea that recent winds had knocked to the ground. I noticed the shadows of the trees on the hillsides and the hint of red in the clouds when the sun began to set.
There was added value to my day because I took the time to absorb the natural world and all because a friend called at 6 am.
Did you see the moon today?