用腳掌親吻大地

It was a day in late December.

那是十二月末的一天

The Christmas tree had been taken down.

圣誕樹已經從街頭搬走

The lights and decorations had been boxed up

彩燈和裝飾物收回了盒子

and put in the closet

放回櫥柜里

until next year.

等著明年再取出來

And I was feeling a little blue

我感到有些沉郁

I sure wasn’t looking forward to the long, cold, dark Winter to come.

對于即將到來的漫長，嚴寒，黑暗的冬天，我沒有多少向往

I had always been a light lover on the inside.

在我的內心，我一直喜歡光明

I tried to take comfort

我試著安慰自己

in knowing that

因為我知道

a few more minutes of daylight was being added each day,

每一天，日照的時長都會比昨天多一點

but I still felt tired

但我仍感到疲乏

and run down.

似乎已經被掏空了

I was both surprised and delighted then

沒想到一件事情讓我感到既驚喜又振奮

when I looked out my window

那時，我從窗口看出去

and saw that a Spring-like day had suddenly arrived.

發現一個像春天一樣暖和的日子剛剛到來了

The temperatures quickly soared into the sixties

溫度很快升到了華氏60°

and the sun was shining down on the earth

陽光普照大地

with a loving light.

溫暖人心

I could hear the neighborhood children outside playing in the warm air.

天氣暖和了，我能聽到鄰居家的孩子在外面玩耍

I smiled when I saw them

看到他們時，我報以微笑

and my inner child longed to be out there

我內心的小孩也渴望著出門去

riding bikes

去騎自行車

and playing games as well.

去玩游戲

I leashed my dogs

我給幾條狗栓了狗繩

for their afternoon walk

準備下午帶他們去散步

hoping to enjoy some of the sunshine myself.

希望自己也能享受一些陽光

As I was about to head out the door, however,

可是，當我正準備出門的時候

I decided to do something a little different.

我決定做一點不一樣的事情

I reached down

我蹲下身

and pulled my shoes and socks off.

把自己的鞋子和襪子脫了下來

I hadn’t been barefoot outside since the Summer.

夏天結束以后，我就沒有光著腳出門過了

I slowly stepped out

我慢慢的邁步出門

on the cool, damp grass.

踩在冰涼，濕漉漉的草地上

It felt so alive under my feet.

它們在我腳下，是那樣鮮活

I laughed as I walked along.

我一邊走一邊笑

I remembered something I once read too

想起自己曾讀到過的一句話:

"Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet."

在大地上行走，如同你在用腳掌親吻大地

And with each step, I did so.

每踩出一步，我心中都是這樣想

My walk felt sacred and holy.

我感到自己的步子有種圣潔而神圣的意味

I felt a oneness with the world

我感到自己與世界合為一體

and the love of nature all around me.

感到大自然的愛縈繞在自己周身

With love in my heart

我心中充滿了愛

I thanked nature for the gift of this day

我感謝大自然將今天這個禮物送給眾人

and no longer dreaded the Winter to come.

再也不畏懼冬天的到來

All of us are walking through this life.

我們每個人都在穿越自己的人生之路

But it is up to each of us how we do so.

但應該怎么走，卻是由各人做主

Are you going to stumble and stomp

你會磕磕絆絆，步履沉重

and complain with each step you take?

每邁出一步就抱怨一句嗎

Or

抑或

are you going to kiss the earth with your feet

你選擇用腳掌親吻大地

and nature with your heart?

用心靈親吻大自然？

The choice is yours.

選擇權在你自己手中

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