An old legend says that at creation, the birds felt cheated and hurt because they received wings. Wings appeared to be burdens which none of the other animals were asked to carry. All was changed, however, when the birds learned that wings were not burdens but blessings that borne them to the sky. Because they were given wings they could rise above the earth and see sights which no other animal could see. What seemed like burdens were really blessings.


Yesterday I went to the gym after work to get my blood-pumpin', heart- thumpin' cardio in and, as usual,the gym was jam-packed. People were elbow to elbow and there wasn't a free piece of equipment to be found. This has become a frustration for me. With little time allowance in my schedule for workouts, along with the occasional lack of motivation, this tiny obstacle has sabotaged my exercise goals far too many times. Well, NOT THIS TIME! So...I turned around, walked out the door, jumped back into my car, and headed for North Park.


When I arrived, there was one lone walker, casually strolling around the .44 mile walkway. In the background, young men playing basketball could be heard cheering along their teammates, as the sound of the ball bouncing across the court echoed through the air. With my ipod in tote and headphones in ear, I cranked up the music and began my warm up pace, careful to stretch my legs to prevent injury. The sun was brightly shining, and it's rays felt warm upon my face in contrast to the ever- so- slight briskness of the breeze that whispered in the air. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Winter's last aroma intermingled with the welcome of Spring. It was invigorating!


As I quicken my pace, I noticed splashes of snow scattered here and there along the path I traveled. As I walked, I hoped that it was the last remnants Winter's song would leave behind. In the distance, within the thickening of trees that surrounded the park, I saw a pair of birds, gently flying with wings reaching upward into the sky, as if stretching after their long winter nap.


Just as the birds thought their wings were a burden, I had thought that the crowded gym was a burden as well. I guess it was truly a blessing in disguise because it felt incredible to be outside again after a long winter! It was such a beautiful evening for a walk!


"Life holds so many simple blessings, each day bringing its own individual wonder."
John McLeod

How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?