Last Sunday was one of those San Miguel de Allende days of perfection with turquoise blue cloudless skies, cool breezes and green mountains. These are the days I yearn for all year, usually coming at the beginning of spring and fall filled with golden light that seems to happen between daylight savings time episodes. A day spent at home, coming and going to the barn or chicken coop taking care of my animal friends, relishing each time I was outside my house, while wondering why I was ever inside today.
While driving to work the next day, I kept feeling the quiet, pure simple day I had experienced, wondering why I was so overwhelmed with feelings of serenity and beauty. As always happens, pondering words start running through my head until I realize the beauty of yesterday was so powerful only because of the contrast of my complaining about all the months of gray, cold and rainy days.
Without those long forever months of gray skies, my appreciation of the amazingly blue sky day of utopian flawlessness might of gone unnoticed which would of felt tragic. In other words, if I lived in perfect weather, never changing, I wouldn’t experience the day as anything different, taking it for granted and missing the joy of living that day.
The amazing gift of contrast in the weather (between what I prefer and don’t prefer) made the experience so powerful. Going larger and looking into my whole life, I see how contrast pays a vital part of my daily appreciation and gratitude. Without contrast of the good, the bad and the ugly, I might have missed the glory of that day expecting blue skies to always be there, taking them for granted and being upset when they weren’t.
Through all my pondering, I have come to realize contrast of what I prefer and don’t prefer is the necessary key to be able to greatly appreciate times when what I prefer comes around. To be able to wake up, notice and with eyes wide open, the blessing of a perfect blue sky, green mountain day is the real gift of contrast.
