Burst of Energy

For days I had been in an emotional slump. Maybe it was the after-Christmas letdown. Maybe it was binge-watching “The Crown.” Maybe it was beating myself up for over-spending. Anyway, I was a bit depressed.

On Sunday morning, I tuned in to the online service my church does during Covid. The music—-the prayers—the thoughtful sermon—lifted my spirits. I think it was mostly the prayers. Or maybe it was the spotted towhee who perched in the tree just outside my window, showing off his gorgeous rufous sides.

Straightaway and inexplicably, I took my burst of energy to a family heirloom—an ornately carved wooden box my uncle brought from China during his stint as a “China Marine” just before World War II. Fearlessly, I took a damp toothbrush to that precious, dust-encrusted box. It has come alive again in a rich, golden brown.

You write it: What re-energizes you?