My little dog Pica rings a bell on the back door to let me know she needs to go outside. On a dark and very cold night last week, she was out longer than usual and I looked through the window to see what she was up to.
I saw Pica scratching away at the blanket of snow on top of what had been our summer garden months ago.
My curiosity heightened as I saw Pica moving snow away from a barren basil plant I had dug into the earth one bright and verdant spring morning. Methodically, as though not to cause damage, Pica extracted the snow surrounding the tiny basil stalk and sniffed all around it. Then she began gleefully rolling herself around what I can only imagine was the leftover fragrance, memory, and warmth of spring and summer. My small black and white dog, with her Einstein white eyebrows and black fur everywhere else, saw, felt, and reveled in life beneath the surface.
What beauty or joy do we rush by that waits just below the surface? How can we unearth and appreciate what lies beneath the snow of our “this is too cold to notice” or “that’s just gotta be dead now” mentality?
Here’s to remaining open and curious to what seems hidden. Let’s open our eyes and hearts to what lies beneath, within, and all around us—deep within people and experiences we encounter.
May you uncover unexpected moments of joy during this season of Light.