Our Rural Roots

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Contributor

Recently, I found myself on a work trip at the beach.

We sat all afternoon in a conference room with big windows overlooking the Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf Coast, about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.

During the meeting, we were discussing serious topics such as crop insurance and farm policy, as well as economic considerations. I'm not sure I even realized I was window-gazing and watching the water until a dolphin jumped out of the waves right in front of the windows. I, too, jumped, screamed and nearly knocked over my chair. Most in the room got a good laugh out of it, but I heard others whisper, "What's the big deal?" and "Wow, has she never been to the beach before?"

These comments caused me to pause. In the midst of busy schedules and to-do lists and life, have we forgotten to look for the magic in the little things? How did it happen that when a dolphin jumps out of the water, we don't all yell and then celebrate (after the mini heart attack is over)?

That led me to wonder what other magical moments happen everyday that I overlook. So, I took to making a list. Each day, I try to write down the small gifts that I might miss were I not intentional about looking for them.

Such as the face of a new baby calf. Or, the way my kids laugh and yell while playing in the water hose. There's the smell of cookies baking in the oven. There's the way some nights, the sunset is the perfect combination of pink, orange and purple.

I owe that dolphin. It provided just the reminder I needed to help me feel gratitude for those magical times that might seem small to some but are what give life meaning.

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-- Tiffany Dowell Lashmet juggles family, farming, writing, livestock and a career in ag law from the Texas Panhandle. Follow her blog at https://alwaysafarmkid.com/…, on Instagram at alwaysafarmkid and @TiffDowell on X.

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