Daily Miracles

I'm in a really good, pensive mood and it's the right time to write a blog, though I might not get the chance to finish it right at this moment.

Right now, I am in Seattle staying with friends and playing a lot of Ultimate. Today, navigating home to a friends house on public transit, I felt overcome by appreciation at the multitude of small miracles that go oft unnoticed in daily life.

A simple bus ride triggered this feeling of awe and gratitude. My Lanai upbringing has not prepared me for bustling city streets, rapid public transit, tall buildings, crowded noises or urban route mapping. The Lanai girl in me watches in admiration and a bit of trepidation as I climb steadily aboard a behemoth bus, cling to the railing against the jolt of the starting engine, and *track* the passing streets scanning for my stop. Reminiscent of my conversation with my high school friend Amanda, I can't believe that I have come so far from my home and everything that I'm used to. And I admit, I am very proud of myself.

There are days when every detail in the world seems wonderful and amazing. White pink cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind. Magnolia tree flowers assertively trumpeting their light maroon hue. Simple sunlight, smiling down to caress my skin. There are days when all I can do is marvel at the fact that I am alive and privy to the beauty of the world around me, as if it were some grand secret--delightful when kept to myself, but all the more thrilling when shared with other people.

Traveling up the coast has really given me an appreciation for friends. In a magical and serendipitous way, love, kinship, and trust transform strangers into life, home, food, and heart-sharers. Friends banish the lonely desolation that would normally cloud my being. Comradery and solidarity are essential to my well-being.

Yet, I cannot help but wonder while in the company of more jaded friends whether my unbridled enthusiasm for life gets old and annoying. Sometimes it's the drift that I get from them, and I try to tone down my excitement. Is it because I'm still young enough to believe in the mysticism of the world around me?