Have You Ever?

By Ashby Hartwell Williams © 1983-2012

Issue: May, 1983

Have you ever walked across a field or through the woods and sat down, perhaps in the middle of that field, with the sun to warm you from all sides or under a tree in those woods?

Did you look at the far horizon or did you look down at the minute details around you?

I have found the smallest of blooms in a field, hidden by tall grass or wild strawberries.

Under the trees, I have seen hickory nut shells, gnawed clean by squirrels and abandoned snail shells.

If you look for details, you’ll see things in a different way. Things once overlooked become treasures. You’ll see how each small rock is different and each flower has its own personality. You might discover for the first time the beautiful scent of the true wild rose in summer or taste the red rose hips from the same rose on a fall hike.

Too many things are considered common and ordinary and taken for granted and all are too often forgotten when, if the facts and details were known, they would be fascinating. Sometimes even people are treated this way. Everyone and everything in the world is special. It only has to be seen in the right way to be appreciated.