Grateful for: Community

Too often we take for granted the community in which we live and all the fruits it has to offer. No matter where we live, there are always wonderful splendors that we can appreciate which are unique to our community. One need merely look around, keep an open heart, and open mind.

Right here where I live, in the Hudson Valley, we have beautiful foliage in the autumn. We have such a bountiful harvest season with apples of all kinds. Dense forest land and evergreens . The Catskill and Appalachian mountains. Hot summers, and cold winters. Snowy winters. The best hiking and mountain biking trails on the planet. Mountain climbing, kayaking, camping, and all other outdoor sporting activities associated with lush forests. It’s a scenic adventure here, and I indulge in it.

We all have plenty to appreciate in our communities. The gratitude we have for our communities will fuel us to try more of the fruits they have to offer. I believe too many of us don’t take advantage of all that is being offered locally, and we really should.

Think about it; if someone were to take a vacation in your community, what activities and events would they be likely to partake in? Have you taken the time to enjoy these same activities?

I believe many of us would be forced to answer “no.”

Now, we all make many reasons for this, but I believe the underlying dominant reason is the fact that we believe that since these fruits are local, they’re not “special”….. just “commonplace”; just because they are local. Yet we are all willing to enjoy the fruits of a place far away and call it “vacation”.

Well ….. I’m here to say that our communities are no less fruitful than our favorite vacation destinations. The path to discovering this begins with cultivating gratitude. Gratitude will grant us appreciation. Appreciation will then fuel our passion to enjoy all of our local people, places, events, opportunities, activities, and faire.