“These are some of the rewards of the simple life”

 A week or so ago it was a grey day and low clouds floated into the valleys below the mountaintops. There was a light mizzle falling as I walked from the Plaza in the center of town and through Lithia park, past the eight or nine feet tall rhododendrons that were blooming with great enthusiasm. Many of you would probably hate taking a walk in such conditions, but I loved it. 

   Though I have taken this walk countless times, and though it is an everyday kind of event, it became something more that day because I chose to elevate it be something more. I breathed in deeply and savored the scent of the damp mulch of the path, and the fresh ‘green’ aroma of the spring leaves of the trees. I admired the vivid green moss growing on the boulders that lie in the creek, and noticed that a new species of wildflower was in bloom on one of the trails.

   As I wrapped up my walk, damp and happy, I recalled the words: “these are some of the rewards of the simple life,” which come from a piece of writing by John Burroughs. My walk was a ‘simple’ thing, but it was rich with rewards that would enrich the rest of my day.

Here is John Burroughs’ piece in its entirety. 

“Every walk to the woods is a religious rite, every bath in

the stream is a saving ordinance. Communion service is at

all hours, and the bread and wine are from the heart and

marrow of Mother Earth.

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and

the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk

or an evening saunter...to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—

these are some of the rewards of the simple life.

The most precious things of life are near at hand, without

money and without price. Each of you has the whole

wealth of the universe at your very door. All that I ever

had, and still have, may be yours by stretching forth your

hand and taking it.”

― John Burroughs

Art on the left by Charles Brook