The Gratitude Booklet

I live in a beautiful village where nice things happen all the time. This makes me supremely lucky, and it's something I am grateful for every single day of my life. Not all people live in such a magnificent part of the world, where they can be in the mountains and at the beach in the same day. Where they can drink water from their tap and know their neighbours' names.

Some people might want examples of nice things that happen in my village. Well, every Wednesday we put out our garbage and recycling and someone always puts our cans inside our property. It's a small thing, lifting our empty cans over the fence, but it tucks them out of the way so they don't go rolling down the street if it's too windy, and it means we can access our parking without being inconvenienced by getting out of the truck to move them. We don't know who does this, but every week, without fail, they do. Another example, during winter someone shovelled the walkway to our gate more than a handful of times. Again, we don't know who did this, but it's one of those gestures that makes this place a great spot to live.

But the sweetness of this town, extends beyond our neighbours. It't the rest of the population too. Chalked messages of love show up around town and are washed away the next time it rains. The community Facebook posts notices about found keys and cellphones, or about injured animals seen on the trails in the forest along with warnings to keep dogs leashed in those areas.

Today, I found yet another amazing thing to add to the 'why I love where I live' list. The little book of gratitude. There's a trail in the forest call the Missing Link trail and it actually goes up to this peak where a wooden bench has been built for people to sit. Here you can look out over the town and, I swear, the air is freshest up there.

When I reached the top this morning, I noticed a little plastic baggie stuffed into the back board of the bench. Upon inspection, I noticed it was a booklet and pen.

In fact, it was the gratitude booklet. A book where people had taken the time to pause a moment and consider what they were grateful for in life.

Out of curiosity, I read through what other people were grateful for. A lot of them were simply ecstatic over being a live, on the trails, running, riding, being healthy and touching the sky. It's a small thing this book, but as I read through it, it changed my morning. It took away the morning annoyances and really made me focus on breathing. I was there, on top of the world, free and alive.

All the posts made me happy, but this one took the cake: 

Ride fast, just a bit of advice from 'N'. How truly fantastic. I hope his dad knows how important he is.

Where I Live

This tiny village that I live is rather enthralling and I am supremely grateful for it. Small town living is totally for me. There are pretty much only a handful of shops on the main street. The only traffic that we get is when the folk from the neighbouring town come over for festivals and special occasions. It kind of reminds me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, except not as nearly big and a little more white trashy.

I just love it.

A little example of why?

Yesterday, I parked like a jerk. Backwards, on the wrong side of the street, and half over the stall behind me. It was the worst parking job I have ever done. I was just popping into the store, but I felt bad as soon as I stepped out of my truck. So much so, I felt the need to point it out to the woman working at the shop. She just laughed and said it was better than most of the parking jobs she's seen out there.

And she said, "The best part is you won't get a ticket. I don't think a ticket has ever been written in our town."

It's true. We don't even have police officers!

It's a beautiful place, truly. It reminds me of the saying 'it takes a village', I think this is what they had in mind.

Just a Friday night in the town I love.