Newsletter Articles written by Tera Thomas
Issue 7
Counting My Blessings
by Tera Thomas
This day is not going the way I planned it. I was supposed to speak to a bird club in Raleigh. I had dreams of birds last night and I was looking forward to this day. And then it began snowing. Those of you in more Northern climes probably cannot fathom that a little snow could make me cancel my plans. But, there are no salt trucks or snowplows to keep the roads clear in North Carolina, and most people here, myself included, are poor winter drivers. So, I am not going to Raleigh today. I am not speaking to the bird club after all.
I look out my window, in kind of a snit because my plans have fallen through, to see four deer standing in the falling snow, all focused on my window to let me know that I have not put out the corn yet. And when I see them, everything shifts. I am presented with a day of stillness, a gift I had not expected. The snow is falling in huge flakes, like cotton balls, blanketing the trees and land. It is so quiet.
I go outside to spread corn in a circle for the deer then stand watching as they begin to eat and others come to join them. It feels as if nothing in the world exists save myself and the deer and the snow. This moment is full with meaning as I feel every other living thing moving through us, intimately connected, and part of our circle. The snow is wet and heavy, clinging to my eyelashes and melting into tiny snow tears as I blink it onto my cheeks. I feel so alive. I feel so grateful.
A few weeks ago I had an epiphany. I was doing outdoor chores when my llamas, Inka and Rainbow, drew my attention to the fact that the sky was blue, the light was golden, and we were together. I was suddenly in one of those wondrous moments of connection where I am nothing and everything all at once. This moment lasted the rest of the day and everything I did, no matter how mundane, felt touched with magic. Later that evening I had this thought: “I wish my real life was magical all the time like today.” As suddenly as the thought was out, I realized the absurdity of it. This is my real life! Why had I been separating it into moments of connection and rightness and feeling that the rest of the time I’m just working hard to make ends meet, making sure the bills are paid, that everyone is fed, just trudging along as I assume all the rest of the world is.
Wait a minute! I live in a world of magic! In my world the animals speak to me and I can speak back to them. Every plant, every blade of grass is conscious and alive and singing its existence. Every day, no matter what it brings, is filled with wonder and beauty and the joy and pain of being alive. I am so fortunate, so wealthy!
There was a time I did not know that these feelings of being hyper alive and connected were my wealth. I knew a lot about the cost of things and nothing about the value. I believed that success was measured by your bank balance and what kind of clothes your wore and how prestigious your job was and where you lived. It was the animals who showed me what was really important and what a blessed life I truly had. In so many ways, at so many times, miracle after miracle occurred in my life to open my heart to this world of magic and connection.
I watch the deer, so serene and beautiful. It is hunting season and I can hear gunshots in the distance. But, they are not worried; they are eating the corn I have offered, snorting and leaping in the snow. They are simply enjoying this moment, completely here, completely focused on right now. The deer live their lives like a prayer, I think. They do not give much thought to the hunters. Each moment is full and rich, a blessing.
I remember my ducks, Delilah and Zuni, who greeted every day with absolute joy and abandon. Once when a storm was coming and the wind was snapping tree branches, I saw Delilah and Zuni standing in the middle of the yard, facing the wind, rocking back on forth on their feet to keep from being blown backward. When the rain started pelting them, they did a dance of joy, then began digging in the grass for the juicy bugs the storm had unearthed. They expected a blessing from that storm and they got one.
It has been said that our lives are an act of faith made daily. Each day we have a choice. In this season that is holy for many around the world, I choose to focus on what is holy to me. I give my heart and my full attention to my connection to all living beings, to the magic that is present everywhere, to the fullness of a single moment, and to the many blessings I receive each and every day of this life.
