Happy People beside an Alpine Lake
The birds chirp in the forest, along the trail,
sprinkling the silence of an April afternoon with their melodious songs,
as I hike along, soaking in the warmth and the peace of the alpine lake.
I pause as I see a group of five hikers trying to take a selfie,
shuffling the phone back and forth across each other, hoping to get a good photo.
‘Would you like me to take your photo?’, I ask.
‘Oh yeah! That’d be great,’ one of them replies.
They move back towards the lake,
as I take a few photos from different angles,
and hand the phone back to them.
‘These are cool…thanks so much!’
‘You’re welcome,’ I smile, as I wave goodbye and start walking past them.
‘Wait…do you want a photo of yourself with this lake behind you?’, one hiker asks me.
‘Sure!’ I reply, handing them my phone, grateful for their offer.
Photo taken, we start interacting more, sharing snacks and thoughts.
Protein bars go from my backpack to their hands,
as raisins and cashews come to mine from theirs.
Words flow back and forth,
as six joyous humans enjoy the beauty of the lake, trees and birds,
soaking in feelings of connection, carved in their minds,
looking at the photos, painted on their phones,
basking in the gratitude that came from tiny acts of giving, written in our souls.
