CHICO — With Thanksgiving season now underway, offering “thanks” for the good things in life becomes a topic of contemplation for many people.
Saturday morning’s second annual Gratitude Walk, covering a roughly three-mile course in Bidwell Park, offered yet another way for thanking a higher power, regardless of religious or spiritual belief. Approximately 50 people walked at varying paces through the cathedral of trees and nature, with friends or alone — thus bringing their minds into alignment with the good fortune they’ve experienced.
It was the manifestation of an idea that had been brewing inside the event’s founder, Crystal Lively, for some time.
“It was an idea that had been in my heart for many years,” Lively explained, adding that the concept began to ripen “now that I’m a budding ’empty-nester.’
“I wanted to encourage the process of gratitude. The idea kept evolving until I asked myself, How about a walk?”
Lively explained that she and her partner, David Isham, attended several local events and also interviewed a number of people, asking them what made them grateful. They completed their collection of information in mid-October and began tabulating the results, discovering the majority of respondents chose the themes of family, life and nature.
Those themes helped Lively and Isham determine the beneficiaries of the Gratitude Walk’s proceeds.
The duo selected The Growing Place, a counseling center, to represent family; Meals on Wheels, a local nonprofit providing meals to people unable to leave their homes, for the life theme; and Cast Hope, “an organization providing meaningful outdoor experiences for underserved youth,” according to its literature, for the nature theme.
“Our proceeds will go toward things we’re grateful for,” Lively said.
Connections
After an opening blessing from Rev. Carolyn McKeown-Fish of the Chico Center for Spiritual Living, participants began their trek by walking through a balloon arch, then along South Park Drive, across Big Chico Creek and back along Petersen Memorial Way.
Participants walked past seven stations, each representing a “gratitude” theme — peace, love, compassion, connection, harmony, acceptance and grateful. Various organizations hosted these stations.
John Boyle was a participant and walked along with James Babcock and Michael Benson; all three are from Chico. What gratitude did the event inspire in Boyle?
“For me, it’s the trees. In fact, we were all just talking about this,” Boyle said, gesturing toward the canopy of trees near Sycamore Pool. “I’ve been learning about trees — about mother trees, how trees communicate, and the nutrients trees provide. It shows me how I want to live.”
Lively said she had been a bit worried about the weather forecast earlier in the week, which predicted a chance of rain. However, Saturday’s conditions were comfortably crisp for a fall morning — another source of gratitude for her.
“I trusted the weather,” she said with a laugh. “I realized I had other things to worry about.”
Denial of responsibility! My Droll is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
