A New Year’s Reflection

While walking along the sidewalk on a recent chilly morning, the symphonic honking of geese drew my gaze skyward. A flock of the birds was flying above the houses on my street in a distinct v-shaped formation. Watching the geese bestirred a memory of similar sight. During a winter afternoon while I was in grade school, I spotted a flock of ducks soaring overhead. I wondered if they were migrating across Lake Erie to Canada. This small and fleeting interaction with nature and the musing it evoked provided a flash of light in the darkness of winter.

Several days ago, on the morning before a large snowstorm blanketed New York City, I peered out the window in my home office. I marveled at the sight of not one but three bluejays pecking at the ground and flying between the trees in my modest city garden. I had never seen that many bluejays together before–something seemingly foreign to the urban landscape. Another flash of light.

As the New Year begins, I hope for more flashes of light. More importantly, I hope that I am aware enough to notice and appreciate them.