The early morning air is still cool enough that I pull on a long-sleeve shirt as I head out to gather the dishes and bowls that belong to my animals. It’s a beautiful start to what promises to be another glorious day.

As I stand silently taking it all in, a streak of white catches my eye. A group of birds is flying over the canal, barely skimming above the water, their wings catching the morning sun peaking through the trees.

Today looks to be another gorgeous one in a string of perfect spring days we’ve enjoyed this year. My body wants to be outside when the weather is this beautiful.

What is it about sunshine, deep blue skies and soft green baby leaves that makes humans feel so good? It just feels great to be living and breathing.

And I think it’s not only humans who appreciate this season. Even the animals seems happy to be alive.

The other afternoon I looked out my front door and counted 10 deer meandering around the yard. I guess the temptation of my flowerbeds enticed them out of the woods. They were maybe 40 feet from the house and didn’t seem afraid of the possibility of humans being so close.

Several of them were barely more than babies and still had spots on the sides of their bodies. As I watched, they walked under the oak trees grazing on something they found in the leaves.

One of them moved from the group to taste the last blooms on my azalea bush. Meanwhile, two of the small ones lay down under the trees to take a nap.

I stood watching as they rested their heads while the bigger deer stayed close by keeping an eye on the babies. It was amazing to realize my yard is also their yard, to grasp that we call the same place home.

There is something about that realization, something about being in touch with the natural world that makes me feel my connection to nature. I always felt it when I was a child enjoying the freedom that came with spring.

I remember walking barefoot on the soft grass for the first time after a winter of shoes, feeling the sun on my bare arms and picking the tiny yellow flowers that popped up all over the yard. Spring was a sensory wonderland for a kid.

This year I’m more like that excited child, ready to get out and experience the wonders of a world waking up from winter rest. I’ve taken the time to look at the blue sky, given myself the gift of quiet moments simply enjoying the sights and sounds and fragrances that come with the season.

This morning as I fed the dogs and cats and listened to the birds calling to each other, I thought about something I shared in yoga class on Monday. It’s a quote from the book, “The Afterlife of Billy Fingers” and says what I want to keep in mind on beautiful days like today — really every single day.

“Tune in to the constant little miracles weaving in and out of your life everyday. Miracles like breathing, seeing, hearing, walking, thinking and being able to feel. That’s why so many spiritual paths promote the concept of gratitude. It helps you notice the grace in your life.”

Noticing the grace in my life is what this season reminds me to do with every breath I take. That I’m here for another spring and able to see, to hear and to experience the miracles life hands me is enough to keep me grateful and appreciative.

Beyond all the “stuff” in the world, all the news and drama, which can seem so overwhelming at times, there is grace and there are still miracles. So, I’m changing long-sleeve shirt to short-sleeve and heading out to become part of life moving through this perfect spring day, and whispering a constant “thank you” as I celebrate living with every breath.

 

Nancy Blackmon is a former newspaper editor and a yoga teacher.