Appreciation for simple joys and moments of beauty from "summary" of Wild by Cheryl Strayed
In the midst of my journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, surrounded by towering trees and vast expanses of wilderness, I found myself overwhelmed by a sense of awe at the simple joys and moments of beauty that surrounded me. The way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor, or the sound of a bubbling stream as it meandered through the landscape - these were the things that brought me a profound sense of peace and contentment. As I walked mile after mile, my mind often drifted back to memories of my mother, who had passed away suddenly when I was just a young woman. In the wake of her death, I had been consumed by grief and a sense of loss that seemed insurmountable. But out here, in the wilderness, I found solace in the simplicity of the natural world around me. The way a wildflower bloomed in a patch of sunlight, or the sight of a deer bounding gracefully through the undergrowth - these sights reminded me of the beauty and wonder that still existed in the world, despite my pain and sorrow. I began to appreciate the small moments of joy that presented themselves to me each day - a hot meal cooked over a campfire, a cool breeze on a hot afternoon, the sight of a shooting star streaking across the night sky. These moments were fleeting, but they filled me with a sense of gratitude and wonder that I had never experienced before. I no longer took these simple pleasures for granted, but savored them with a newfound sense of appreciation. In the wild, I learned to slow down and pay attention to the world around me, to notice the small details and moments of beauty that might have passed me by in my old life. I began to see the beauty in the ordinary - the way the wind rustled through the trees, or the way a bird soared effortlessly through the sky. These moments brought me a sense of peace and connection to the natural world that I had never known before. As I continued my journey along the trail, I carried with me this newfound appreciation for the simple joys and moments of beauty that surrounded me. And in doing so, I was able to find a sense of healing and renewal that I had been searching for all along. The wild had given me a gift - the gift of seeing the world with fresh eyes, and finding beauty and joy in the most unexpected places.
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