Sunlight filtering through the canopy along the Maritime Forest Trail in the Currituck Estuarine Banks.It's Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks. Like most places there is a tendency to take those things we see in our everyday lives for granted and never stop to give thanks for them.
That's one of great things about Thanksgiving—it's a day to reflect on those things we should be thankful for. The holiday has become more than that, of course. It's a day of family and gatherings—something our Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates homeowners seem to truly enjoy as many of them come to the Outer Banks to celebrate the holiday.
Things to Be Thankful for
But the essence of the holiday is to give thanks and to remember those things we are thankful for. That list is invariably personal.
There are certain things that almost any list will have on it—family and friends are make most of the lists. As does love of country.
Many of the things we are thankful for are a reflection of where we live.
Living on the Outer Banks it would be hard to not be thankful for the beauty of our surroundings. It is a complex and fragile environment, yet within that delicate and complex system there are moments and places of transcendent beauty, and that is something to be profoundly thankful for.
There is a moment when the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean or sets behind the sounds when the sky is filled with so many colors and so many textures that neither camera nor words can truly capture what is seen. It is rare, but it is something to treasure.
There is on the Outer Banks a world away from the beach that has a power and beauty that can easily be overlooked. The sunlight filtering through the canopy of a maritime forest creates a subtle light show, a delicate dance of color and shade. Each of the maritime forests has its own characteristic, it's own quality of light.
It is, of course, typical of us to praise the wonder and virtues of the place we live, yet that beauty that creates a sense of gratitude may be why people enjoy the Outer Banks as much as they do. And if that is the case, we should not be taking that for granted and should thankful for the beauty that surround us.
