Suddenly Struck Awake by Gratitude

A few days ago I was walking through the thick forest on the road between my mother’s house and my house.

I walk on this road almost every day and I love it and feel grateful for the natural beauty.

But on this particular day, the light coming through the trees and the sound of the creek  rushing down the bank, grabbed my attention and I was suddenly struck by gratitude.

I was nearly knocked over by the force of how blessed I am to share this earth. I had to stop and to make more room in my body for more breath and to say out loud- to the trees and the sky and the great mystery of all that is: Thank you! Thank you for this world, thank you for this precious moment of now. Thank you! Thank you!

You know this experience –you have also had the feeling of being suddenly and deeply struck awake by gratitude for this splendid  natural world!  

ee cummings expressed it so well:

i thank You God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any–lifted from the no

of all nothing–human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

~e.e.cummings

Gratitude opens your inner senses. Gratitude wakes you up to who you really are and wakes you up to the blessings right in front of you.

Whether you thank a supreme being or nature or the mystery, gratitude is one of the most powerful- and joyful – forces of  transformation.

When have you been struck by gratitude?

What do you do with the energy of a sudden lightning bolt of gratitude?