Counting Our Blessings

Indeed, during this time of uncertainty, we are still counting our blessings and I encourage you to do the same. Easier said than done, right? Looking to nature is my coping strategy.  While we tried watching our church service this morning on the computer, the connection kept getting lost making  for a very disjointed "worship" experience. That said, it does not mean that I'm still not thinking a lot about God and the pandemic. Perhaps you remember singing the song, "Count Your Blessings" when you were in Sunday School, a short little refrain that ensures us that God is in everything, but did you know that there is way more to that song, written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman Jr.? Click here for all of the lyrics.  While that may not bring you any comfort, it sure does me.

I've taken to writing the number of cases found in Florida on my kitchen calendar each evening as to monitor the progression of Covid-19, which is considerable. Then again, and this is in no way meant to minimize the situation, but I like to think of it more in terms of who does not have it, and that is a heck of a lot of people. For instance, the population of Italy is around 60 million people, and while every death is a tragedy, to date, 4,825 deaths is a fraction of the population. I cannot help it so don't get mad at me and think I am callous, it is just how my mind works. When I was working in mammography, patients would often cite the statistic that one in nine women would get breast cancer in their lifetime. While true, that means eight out of nine won't!

Again that is the optimist in me which I cannot change at this point in my life. Have you read anywhere how people who consider themselves pessimists are strangely calm during this time of global crisis because they've been preparing their minds for bad things to happen for a long time? Maybe that explains why I am a little anxious, particularly, if I check the news.

So,  mostly I stay away from it, and soothe my soul with the wonder of nature, including this amazing sight I saw two days ago.

Indeed, Bruce thinks it is a Tilapia sitting on her bed with the sun hitting her just so. I watched in utter fascination as she moved around the bed, but never straying.  Here's a little bigger picture.

Isn't it miraculous to think of all of the life under the water? A good reminder that there is way more to this world than what we can generally see.

The virus itself, for one thing.

So as to counting blessings, Matt shared a few from his life--a virtual birthday party for a friend, new plants coming out of the ground, an online yoga class. Backyard Apple and Cherry trees beginning to bloom. 

It's the little things that will get us through this my friends. Like the color of Spring....a special green that is unlike any other time of the year.

Fragrant and beautiful blossoms on a Viburnum plant that most of the year has neither. Sunlight sparkling on water,

and, if you live in a sunny area such as we do, the light coming in through a window during different times of the day. This in the evening,

and this in the morning.

You might note the tiny little bottles on the table in the foreground...that would be hand sanitizer courtesy of Delta Airlines from our last international flight. I discovered them in a drawer while cleaning yesterday! Actually we were recently gifted a bottle of it, but these little ones may come in handy if this goes on as long as has been predicted.

I played pickleball yesterday morning, but now some folks are becoming concerned because everyone touches the balls. For us, we wiped our hand with our Clorox wipes, another gifted item, and then washed them thoroughly when we got home.

What do you think? Would that concern you? If everyone is healthy, and has no contact with an infected person, can it still spread? I know this would not be happening in Spain right now where are friends David and Cheryle are living. You can be arrested for taking a walk!!!  Gosh I hope it does not come to that here!

Still on the blessings front, a beautiful hibiscus in bloom on the property.

And as is the nature of nature (!), the orchid buds continue to open.

Last evening, as I was delivering some freshly made fried green tomatoes to Connie, who lives upstairs, I saw a Swallowtail Kite fly overhead, a bird I see rarely. Thinking that it was part of yesterday's blessings, I had no hope that I would see it again, but by golly, this morning, while out photographing some other birds, it flew overhead and I mean WAY overhead, much farther than my zoom can handle, but I took the shot anyway. That tail is amazing!

What birds, pray tell, was out photographing?? Oh my goodness, walking down to the Loquat tree, hoping to see some remaining Cedar Waxwings, something caught my eye away from that tree and onto the top of a nearby tree, still bare of leaves. Wow!

Actually, they too were too high for my zoom, but I did what I could do. They are such beautiful birds!

And while I wish my photographs were better, they aren't, so I'm going to accept them for what they are. A beautiful reminder that life does go on even though right now it feels far from normal, migration is still happening, mating season is upon us, and new life will soon be forthcoming.

While I am so lucky to live amongst nature I realize others are not as fortunate so nature isn't going to work for them. What are people doing instead? Playing cards with real cards? Doing puzzles, both word and jigsaw? Cleaning? I've heard loads of people mentioning that! Perhaps it is a good time for folks to adopt the Marie Kondo method of folding clothes because in this time of feeling as if you have no control over anything, tidy drawers can do wonders for calming a troubled mind.

Which is what worries me the most about this pandemic--mental health as people are sequestered for an indefinite time. And the loss of jobs! My heart absolutely aches over that aspect. Domestic violence as well as drug and alcohol abuse problems are bound to increase. And, of course, there is the matter of investments which have taken an absolute pummeling taking a toll on many. As David likes to remind me, "the stock market giveth, and the stock market taketh away." Isn't that the truth?

So, where is God in all this? That is a question for the ages.

your friend,

Gail

p.s. Please note that these post are written in real time, so as the days continue, I suspect some of my opinions will change with new information. Furthermore, always remember, this blog is for me to remember life as I live it!