What Makes Me Come Alive
My good friend, Cynthia Louden, asked me to contribute to her new group blog — What Makes Us Come Alive. At this time in our world, when so many of us are being tasked with trying to stay positive while listening to very scary news, while simultaneously being told we must stay in our homes and practice social distancing, I thought focusing on what brings us joy was a wonderful idea.
I feel extremely fortunate to be living out in the countryside in western Washington state. I am staying in the guesthouse on the property of one of my longtime and dearest friends while I work on my online art business. I have 45 acres of forested land to explore for inspiration and I rarely interact, face-to-face, with any of my neighbors. I hadn’t realized when I arrived here a year ago that this would turn out to be the PERFECT place to be at this current moment in time!
One thing that makes me come alive is exploring this landscape. Last week I took my dog, Dash, on a walk to the small lake on the property. While we were walking I heard a snorting sound on the water. I managed to get my phone out and take a video of the playful river otter that had come to check me out. I had seen it a few days before for the first time but really didn’t know if I’d be lucky enough to see it again. But there she was, apparently just as curious about me as I was about her. That encounter with such a sweet, wild creature DEFINITELY made me come alive! I hope you enjoy the video.