In my last blog post, I talked about how a crazy, mixed-up day turned into a blessing.  I ended up in Santa Barbara at a perfect little hotel.  I got to see the ocean, boats, and cute shops.  An unexpected blessing, to be sure.

And as much as I appreciated that, I almost missed another one.

I woke in my hotel room with the sun streaming in the window.  A beautiful day! What shall I do with this day?  I know!  The Botanical Gardens.  Not only will I see flowers, but they also have some great walking trails up in the hills.  Perfect.

I eat breakfast, check out, and drive up into the hills to the gardens.  It’s already warmer than the previous day.  I probably won’t need all the clothes I have on.  I find a place to park, pay and talk to the ranger, and set out.  This is going to be fun!

I’m immediately drawn to the landscape right by the entrance.  Not a ton is blooming yet, but it’s beautifully green.  And there are poppies blooming.  One of my favorite flowers.  Delicate with a lovely shade of orange.  I pause there for a bit, taking in the beauty and snapping a few pictures that don’t do justice to what my eye can see.  (I wish Ann was here.  She’d take some great ones.)

(c) Kathleen Thompson

Now I’m walking again. And somewhere along the way I realize I’m not really paying attention.  I’m walking just to walk.  My mind is wandering all over the place.  I’m not present with my surroundings.  I’m walking through redwoods for crying out loud, and I feel nothing.

Here I’ve been given the blessing of these 2 days in Santa Barbara, and I could have been anywhere.

Fortunately, I realized what was going on and stopped.  I sat down on a bench under the redwoods and stared at them.  I looked at each one. Compared it to the other. Thought about what they would have looked like when they were young.  Wondered if anyone lived here then.  Appreciated their beauty, majesty, and shade.  I sat there for a long time, bringing myself to the present so I could experience this blessing.

(c) Kathleen Thompson. These are hard to miss.

And it didn’t end there.  At least 2 other times along the way I found myself doing the same thing.  Trying to get to the “end” of the trail, as if it was a goal to be accomplished, instead of enjoying what I saw along the way.  Each time I had to notice, stop walking, and talk out loud to keep my focus on the blessing.

I’m so glad I did.  I enjoyed it much more than I otherwise would have.  I noticed things I wouldn’t have noticed either.  Like how a marking on one of the redwood trees was shaped like a heart.  Or how a pass through a group of boulders reminded me of hikes I’d taken with Rosemary and Jonathan, my friend’s children.  Or the chameleons that darted across my path.  I would have missed it all.

(c) Kathleen Thompson. Doesn't this look like a heart?

(c) Kathleen Thompson. Rosie and Jonathan, you would've loved this hike!

Yes, I would have enjoyed myself.  But nowhere near as much.

It’s so hard, isn’t it?  So hard to be present.  We’re so used to thinking about something or somewhere other than where we are.  Our attention is scattered all over creation.  And we miss the blessings staring us right in the face.

I almost missed the blessing.  But I didn’t.  I had the time of my life there, as well as driving down the Pacific Coast Highway back to Los Angeles.  I felt as though I’d been on vacation for a week after only 2 days.  My mind and heart were completely refreshed.

(c) Kathleen Thompson.  View on Drive Back to Los Angeles

Don’t miss the blessings in your life, either.  Even if you have to stop and talk to yourself out loud like I did, pay attention to where you are.  Who you’re with. What you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste.  You’ll feel refreshed too.

Is there a blessing you almost missed?  Share in the comments.