The Creek Was Low, but the Forest Was Full
On a September walk, I found a forest full of surprises — seedlings sprouting late, fungi bleeding liquid, ants feasting on mushrooms. Each moment carried a question, and each question carried a lesson.
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Training for the Big Storms
This morning at Row House, I walked into the lobby, filled my water bottle, and as I went to grab some towels, about two cups of water spilled out of the lid and onto the floor. Not ideal, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Immediately, one older gentleman said, “doesn’t that really piss you off?”
I shrugged and replied, “I wouldn’t say it pisses me off, more like a minor annoyance.”
Before I even finished wiping, an older woman added, “your day is just off to a great start.”
I smiled and said, “If this is the worst thing that happens to me today, I’m blessed.”
Walking away, it struck me how clarifying that moment was. I’ve done a lot of work to make my mindset a friend instead of a foe. We always carry our thoughts with us, and they can either lighten our load or weigh us down. If a couple cups of spilled water feels like a catastrophe, what happens when life delivers something truly hard?
That’s why I treat the small stuff as practice. A spill is just a spill. It’s a chance to rehearse gratitude, to keep perspective, to train my thoughts to be useful. Because the way we handle the little messes shapes how we’ll handle the big storms.
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
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