Today I am thankful for… daffodils.

Twenty four degrees.

The weather app guesstimates that’s what it felt like this morning when my friend and I chose to go for an early morning walk. Carrying our warm beverages of choice, and donning my festive St. Patrick’s day hat and scarves, we had no regrets.

Crossing the street and starting the trail, it didn’t take long for the sounds of cars to fade for God to give us a gift.

Within moments we saw them.

Bright, bold, and pointing their trumpets to toward the sun adorned with yellow collars, an entire row of daffodils reminded us to slow down. I’m a fast walker and a fast talker, but this morning was not about speed, efficiency or getting steps in. And it wasn’t for hollow chit chat.

Shortly after the yellow daffodils we saw purple flowers, and pink ones. A passing jogger smiled and commented on my goofy hat. A fat squirrel crossed our path. The water flowing over the rocks in the creek harmonized with the lyrics of the birds, and the bass of the geese.

The sun lit up every color.

We didn’t talk about the weather. Or the atrocious roads in Illinois. We didn’t speculate about politics, tv show endings, or celebrity relationships. We talked about thankfulness, innovation, writing, coffee mugs and more that is not for me to share.

We learned about each other.

It’s the thing you need to do with intention when you’re an adult making new adult friends without the comfortable crutch of nostalgia.

With every question and every answer we discovered where we overlap. There are parts of our lives that couldn’t be more different, and then we’d turn the corner of the trail and realize, wait… you too? I thought I was the only one.

So thank you God for daffodils.

Thank you for being a God of intention, and not coincidence. Thank you for new friendships in this season. In a world of choices and distractions, today let’s choose the more fulfilling path beyond productivity and pleasantries:

• Take the cold walk.
• Where the silly hat.
• Share something real.