Several mornings each week, I have the privilege of driving my son to his place of work, where he has a job that directly connects with his passions, his interests, and his strengths.
An aspiring farmer, he works at a local successful Long Island farm.
Pulling the car into the empty and still lot, we are greeted regularly by a group of goats. The goats are fenced in, and the stillness of the misty morning embraces us.
We are the first people that the goats see. And they let us know. Some bleat and maa. Others curiously approach the fence, hopeful for a handful of food.
The rest either sit perched on one of the fixtures while the rest playfully interact with one another. It’s no wonder the reason they’re called “kids”.
Even though the sun’s been up for hours, our arrival seems to signify the start to the goats’ day.
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I recently spoke with a fellow educator who, like us all, had weathered the last 15 months of adapting to life in a global pandemic. We each acknowledged was how easy it was to see the challenges, without really having to look for them. We’d shared how we each would cringe upon opening our emails or turning on our cell phones. The obstacles, it seemed, were all around us. The work never stopped.
Back to the goats and back to gratitude.
A favorite podcast, as I learn about the benefits of gratitude, is The Science of Happiness. One episode in particular, Finding Awe in the Ordinary, is captured here in this video clip.
Several years ago, I began to explore the roots of happiness and joy, purpose and fulfillment. And much of the research seemed to come back to one thing: gratitude.
Simple moments of gratitude are what keep us focused, especially, I’d come to find, in frenetic times. When I stopped to marvel at how, despite occasional bouts with exhaustion and frustration, I am coming out of this experience a better and a stronger person, I can also completely attribute this to one thing: gratitude.
It’s seeing the small victories, the incremental successes, the forward motion, no matter how small sometimes, that’s fueled my joy.
So, yeah, I take pictures of goats. Maybe you've gotten one from me. Just know, that when you see a goat photo from me on your phone, it's my way of sharing simple joy.
These photos represent a moment. A moment in the present, an acknowledgement of what I’ve counted on in the past, and maybe, for my son, a glimpse into his future.
I’ve got farm animals on my camera roll, among the many things that give me joy and that remind me to be grateful.
What’s on your camera roll that brings you joy?