Sometimes I have trouble harvesting what I’ve grown. It seems so ridiculous to have put in all the work of growing a thing, and then not walking out of the door to pick it and eat it before it is too late, and the food is spoiled.

This morning I went out and picked the last of the tomatoes and it felt very good to have them bulging out of my robe pockets. As I enjoyed my senses out there in the garden picking these final tastes of summer, I considered how this is similar to life in general. Sometimes, we work so hard for certain experiences, moments and accomplishments and then don’t take the time to harvest them; to marvel at the juicy fullness of what we have grown, and to celebrate the cumulation of a task, accomplishment, or goal.

We can get so caught up in the “doing” in our lives that we forget to enjoy what we’ve done. There is always more to do, and there always will be.

As I move into my 50’s and beyond, I am more aware than ever, that there will always be things that I want to accomplish, and that life can become an endless to-do list that doesn’t have a box to check off for enjoying the harvest.

This fall, I’d like to invite you to join me in making a conscious effort to appreciate the things in our lives that have ripened and matured into savory pleasures.

Gratitude enhances joy, in fact, Brene’ Browns research teaches us that gratitude is an essential component of feeling joyful and living a wholehearted life.

With November and Thanksgiving coming up, let’s take this research to heart and enjoy our harvest, not only of our food but of the moment we find ourselves standing in right now.

There is so much to be grateful for, we each have earned the right to celebrate it. Let’s not only acknowledge the toil and effort, the heroics we go through to care for our families, our bodies, our loved ones, our communities, but let’s also celebrate the return from these efforts. Let’s use the coming months to acknowledge our successes, and the blessings that are ours through both hard work and through grace.

As the garden begins its’ decent into winter and I stand in the morning light with my pockets bulging with the last tomatoes, I lift up my eyes to the home I have created with my family and allow my heart to open wide and to take in the bounty of my life. As my heart beats with gratitude, I stand there, keeping my heart wide open for a minute, maybe two, and take a second harvest into my awareness-that of the bounty of all that’s been built, the hope for the future, and most of all, the sweetness of NOW on my tongue.