Z is for Zest - 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge

April 30, 2014

2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge

A Rural Life

Day 26

Z is for Zest

Welcome to the last day of 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge! It’s been great fun again this year, albeit hard work. I come to the last day of the challenge buoyed that I’ve completed it again, but also looking forward to a bit of a blogging break. 

I appreciate meeting so many new people. Each one brings something to my life even if it’s just a fleeting comment on the blog. It’s still a connection to someone else’s world and that’s the point of all. 

This year, 2014, I’ve been blogging about My Rural Life. It’s sort of like Walton’s Mountain meets the big city. It’s my life and the forces that come together to make my unique world. 

Yes, I’ve tossed in a little book promo each day because writing is a huge part of who I am. I can’t blog if I cut out part of my life.

I want to thank each and every one of you for spending this special month with me. I hope you’ve enjoyed the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge as much as I have. Thank you all so much! 

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Zest: a noun

1. lively excitement : a feeling of enjoyment and enthusiasm

2. a lively quality that increases enjoyment, excitement, or energy

3. small pieces of the skin of a lemon, orange, or lime that are used to flavor food

A new acquaintance once asked me if my zest for life was sincere. My reply was that yes, considering the alternative, it was.  A deeper friendship with this person never developed, which is a shame. When we encounter each other she always asks if I’m still “so perky.” I doubt those who’ve known me for years ever refer to me as “perky.”

But I do enjoy my rural life. The small things around me are a source of enjoyment, and often of wonder. Every year I eagerly await the first green tips of the bulbs breaking ground. It’s a ‘wow’ moment when I realize the mountain has taken on a reddish blush as the maples prepare to bring forth their leaves. I feel the energy of the changing seasons on a molecular level. It’s who I am.

My grandfather died at age 95 and he lived every day until he was 94 ½ with a zest for life. He was born on the cusp of WWI and lived through WWII and the Great Depression. He buried his wife, his parents and all his siblings. And yet, until his eyesight failed, this man lived every day and looked forward to tomorrow. This was my shining example of having a zest for life. I hope I learned well the lessons he taught.

I wish for all of you reading this that you also may have a zest for life. I wish that you experience joy, no matter how small, no matter what source, in every day of your life. My hope for you is that you can nurture that joy and grow it into a zest that adds flavor to all your days and to all your endeavors.

Thanks for sharing the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge with me.

KC Kendricks