Tag: priceless

WORDS LIKE LIGHT 

Friday, September 24, 2021

            Today, I want to appreciate what life gives me moment by moment. The word ‘appreciate’ derives from the Latin word for ‘price’, and so to appreciate means to understand the price, or value, of something. Since we’re planning to sell our house sometime fairly soon, Delycia and I often talk about its value – what price we can set on it -, but what about the value of the precious daily occurrences in my life?  Do I fully appreciate the value of each breath that comes to my lungs? of each thought that arises inside me? of feelings that flow through me moment by moment? of the swirl of our soft curtains as I sit at my desk on this warm September morning? Indeed, there is no way to set a price on these occurrences, because they are priceless. Their value is absolutely inestimable, as is the value of the friendship Delycia and I enjoy, and the value of sunshine, and September rain, and books on an old man’s bookshelf. It’s impossible to set a price on these miracles in my life, but at least I should make an attempt – at least do my best to appreciate them. After all, I’m surrounded, and filled, each moment, by wonders worth more than many millions of dollars. 

BEING PROSPEROUS

One day 
a man suddenly understood 
how prosperous he was. 
His thoughts, for instance, were thriving, 
throwing themselves around like lightning bolts
from faraway, and his feelings 
were flourishing inside him,
where they were as numerous and as spirited
 as stars in the sky. 
He saw that his heart was very successful, 
producing profitable results through his body, 
and that his old lungs were more lucrative than ever, 
yielding profit-making freshness moment by moment. 
He understood, 
on this burgeoning day, 
that he was wealthy beyond belief. 
He was beyond well-off 
in his ability to wonder and welcome and appreciate, 
and was opulent in his capacity to say please and thanks. 
Oh, and he also saw 
that he had substantial wealth 
in smiles.  



.

Here are two best friends pausing yesterday on a lovely bike ride on the Kingston (RI) rail trail …