Appreciating the Wonder Around Us

Hi. Welcome to Bloom Anywhere. I'm Gwen Moran, a writer, editor, author, and problem-solver. My goal is to share information, ideas, and resources to help you overcome obstacles, reach your goals, and find more joy in life, even when things are messy. Thanks for joining me. (If you got this from a friend, subscribe here.) I'd love your feedback and suggestions for future topics. Please send me an email: connect@bloomanywhere.com.

When you live in a place where people like to go on vacation, you can expect company from time to time. Houseguests help you see your life through new eyes. In the days leading up to their arrival, you see everything that there is to clean and purge. You scrub, vacuum, and organize, shop, plan meals, and tidy up. Then, as the window before their arrival time shrinks, there is a period of surrender when you accept that good enough is going to have to be good enough.

Dear friends came to visit over the holiday weekend. Even as they walked through the front door, I noticed a mark on one of the walls and a bottle of cleaning fluid that I had forgotten to put away. All around me, I saw the flaws in our home. But when they walked through the door, I felt a wave of love and happiness that came with their presence.

Throughout the week before their arrival, I planned activity options to keep our company entertained. There were movies, boardwalks, parks, and other activities. We decided to get up early the next day and watch the sun rise over the ocean.

A Series of Fortuitous Events

I locked the front door behind us and looked at the overcast skies with a bit of concern. If I had been doing this solo, I probably would have scratched the plan, figuring that we wouldn’t be able to see the sunrise through the clouds.

But as we headed east toward the beach, which is just a few minutes away, I could see that we’d be able to see the sunrise at least partially. We arrived at Belmar Beach, parked, walked across the boardwalk onto the walkway, and then put our toes in the sand. The sky was a combination of brilliant orange and shades of grey. A few other small groups were watching the daybreak. Off to the left, a mother played with her young children just beyond the surf.

As we stared at the horizon, one of the group of men fishing to the right of us suddenly yelped. His fishing reel was buzzing, and his rod was bent. Something big was on the line. One donned a vest and pulled the rod out of its holder as he began cranking the reel, pulling the catch closer to shore, a few inches at a time. Slowly, a small crowd gathered to watch.

I turned to look back at the boardwalk. In the sky, an enormous rainbow stretched up over the houses. The very clouds that had made me wonder if we should even bother forging ahead provided the moisture necessary for a brilliant, multicolored spectacle.

The men fishing nearby were still working over their bent rod when we saw a fin breach the water. They caught a shark, reeled it in, photographed it, then released it. (Much to my relief.)

At that moment, as if on cue, an enormous pod of dolphins swam by, breaching the water one by one. There were perhaps 20 or more making their way north. They always seem like a bit of magic when they appear.

We decided it was time for breakfast, so we made our way back to the car. We looked up, and one rainbow had turned to two—a symbol of good luck, transformation, and spiritual awakening, according to some. I couldn’t have planned a better morning if I tried. We finished it with an old-school Jersey diner breakfast.

Wonderful Reminders

The morning gave me some important reminders. First, people matter more than perfection. My friends didn’t care about the state of my house. How many times have I put off inviting loved ones over because of the thought of cleaning and preparation?

And cloudy skies aren’t a reason to turn back. We would have missed all of those amazing experiences if we had let a few clouds get in the way. Keep going, expect good things, and stay open: You never know what’s waiting for you.

Also, look all around. If we hadn’t turned around and looked behind us, we could have missed the rainbow. Other families on the beach didn’t even notice it until we pointed it out. How much are we missing by being too focused in one direction—or by staring at our phones?

Recently, I wrote about feeling disconnected from the place where I live. My friends reminded me of how wonderful this part of the world can be. I need to work on connecting with that wonder more often.

How Do You Stay in a State of Appreciation?

Do you feel the same way about appreciating what’s around you? Or how do you stay in a state of appreciation? I’d love to hear your thoughts: connect@bloomanywhere.com.