The Joys of Traveling

new leaves from a tree at Andover

Good Morning, God!

I snapped this photo while walking with my wonderful husband Kit in the town of Andover Mass. When I saw the resulting photo on my computer I was amazed! I love it! I had no idea that range of color was there in the leaves. It is exquisite.

What a delight to be surprised by such beauty! One of the pleasures of traveling — though I am eager to be Home — is the flow of surprises and small adventures.  Adventures like the power going off all along Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. while we were dining — and even , in retrospect, the drive with the help of Google maps though pitch black back roads with only 1% left on my iPhone.

Travel means I add more photos to my Inner Albums — as well as to my iPhone albums.  And it is not just “photos,” it is also a wealth of Friend Connections.  It is both Richer Connections with old friends AND an awareness of all the New People that pass through our days. Good people, God. And perhaps they want to be “noticed” and appreciated — even more than these lovely leaves.

It puts me in mind of one of my favorite quotes (by Paul Watslawick) that the Primary Purpose of communication is to Confirm our Existence as Human Beings. It doesn’t take much – a nod, a smle, a glance, even. I think of that quote as an extension of Your Command, God, to “Love our Neighbor as we love Ourselves.”

Perhaps Loving begins with seeing — with appreciation.