Words + Images

Outside the office where I work today, in the branches of a dead tree, a tiny black and white woodpecker is having an awfully good time.  As I watch him inch his way around the trunk, I notice that there are many tiny holes in the brown surface of the tree.  It must be a popular stop for woodpeckers on their way from here to there.  My little friend is alone so far.  No others of the woodpecker tribe do I see.  He was runoff for a bit by the blue jays but quickly returned upon their departure.  He looked askance at a couple of cardinals but didn’t let their presence stop him from knocking head to wood.  There is a part of me that wishes to get up and find my camera but I know that if I do, when I return he may be gone.  For a while I felt a bit of chagrin that I was spending time watching this fellow instead of being productive, i.e. doing something that I could put a dollar value towards.  But then two experiences came to mind.  The first involved a recent conversation with a friend about Thich Nhat Hanh.  After I noticed one of his books in her home, she mentioned that she’d read much of his writing with one of her greatest take-aways being a reminder to be present … not just in yoga class but even while washing dishes!  The second experience took place yesterday when I chanced upon the blog, Touch2Touch, and the post, “In the Morning, Whatever.” A lovely piece that I hope you read.  What I took away, or what came back to me this morning, was this:  it is okay to pause in one’s day, to look around one’s self and to simply enjoy the moment.

And now that I’ve done that, I suppose I should get back to work. 😉