This past Tuesday, I suddenly found myself with some unscheduled TIME so I ran away (for two hours) from my insanely busy schedule and gave my overloaded brain a much needed rest.

It was a beautiful spring day and I found myself (again) at The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge located in Morris County, NJ. The moment I stepped out of the car, I felt the knots in my stomach and the tightness in my shoulders melt away as I let go of the tension that had been building up inside of me. I found myself breathing in the fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face, and hearing the chirping and singing of what seemed like dozens of birds. And I devoured it all as if famished. This is what my soul was craving for. I stood in front of an open field and I drank it all in, letting Beauty renew my very being. And with all my being, I said Thank you.

I can express no kinder sign of love
Than this kind kiss. O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
For thou hast given me in this beauteous face
A world of earthly blessings to my soul,
If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.
— William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Henry VI: Part 2 (1590), 1.1.20

If you would like to share your version of “Thankful Thursday” (photos or text or both) today or in the future, you can link your post to my post on Thursdays in the comments section with the title “Thankful Thursday”.

Happy Thursday Everyone!

More Thankful Thursday Thoughts:

HostessAtHeart

martha0stout

A New Day Dawns

Celebrating Sunshine