![Cylvia Hayes](https://www.cylviahayes.net/wp-content/themes/cylviahayes/images/RethinkMinistriesTransparent.png")
For many of us the COVID experience has pared us down, peeled back layers, and honed us in on values and priorities. For me during this time of isolation from society at-large, I’ve come to more deeply appreciate simple human connection.
I live in a quiet neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac and quite simply it is “neighbor Nirvana” and I feel so lucky to be here. We get quite a few joggers and dog walkers in our little hood.
The central feature of my front yard is a lovely flowering crabapple tree. She is currently bare for winter. Well, not totally bare, because I just converted her into “Gratitude Tree.” I placed a bunch of small wood rounds in a basket and invited neighbors and passers-by to write what they are grateful for, drop the round back in the basket and I’ll hang it on the tree.
It’s gotten a great response. Some of the gratitudes so far include:
- Family, the best support during this crazy year
- My health!
- Baby Anders — our first kiddo
- Dogs!
- My Job
- Love
- Magic in 2021
My own gratitudes included Mother Earth, John, Jonathan, my awesome neighbors, and my home. 
I just love finding new gratitude discs in the basket or seeing someone stopped out front writing out their blessing. It’s even sweeter because the rounds are from logs my dear friend dropped off sometime back because she no longer has a wood stove. And, my neighbor, who’s a skilled woodworker, sawed them into rounds and drilled the hang holds for me. My tall son brought his big ladder over and he hangs the really tall ones for me.
It’s all just simple, lovely human connection, and I am certainly grateful for that.
What would you hang on Gratitude Tree?
PS, the tree is really cool when the wind is blowing a bit — the whole thing looks like a hanging mobile. You can see a video on my Facebook page.
Much Love,
Cylvia
