Gratitude Practice 2022 Nov 6: The Delicious Crunch of Autumn Leaves

About a week ago, I was helping at one of our YouthCity locations and was connecting with parents and kids and staff at the end of the day. Temperatures in our fair city are starting to fall. Cold enough for a hoodie or light jacket but not chilly enough to require mittens of boots. It was a pleasant and cozy ender to the workday. Most kids had been picked up and as we were waiting for a few lingering parents to arrive our tiny gathering engaged in simple casual conversation until without any notice or planning I took the most delightful step into an unsuspecting pile of crunchy autumn leaves. Instantly, we were stunned by the most delicious sound of crispy fallen leaves underfoot. The surprisingly satisfying sound silenced our conversation and halted my thoughts. Suspended. For a brief moment all of the tastes, flavors, and feels of this harvest season cracked open as my foot met this tiny pile of nature's goodness. 

Grateful for the simple moments when the melodic sounds of nature pause the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Grateful for the shared reaction of delight and surprise by the parents and staff who also witness the most delicious sound of crunching leaves. Grateful for the change of seasons and all that they represent and signify. Grateful for these tiny simple moments that just somehow stick with a person weeks later and somehow will remain significant for years to come.