presents for presence

In early May, the New York Times ran a series of short reader submitted anecdotes about the walks.

Yevette Conklin’s, a fellow Chicago resident, was particularly striking and beautiful to me.

‘These presents I get for being present.’

There’s the moment of stopping, standing still, taking a deep breath and listening to the wind’s movement through the branches and weathered grasses, the overlapping sounds of fluttering, scratching and birdsong, the feel and smell of the outdoor air. And then I notice they were always there — birds, insects, land animals, just doing what they do, these presents I get for being present, quiet and still.