My daughter got married this past weekend and I want to remember every detail. How do you keep every treasured moment and hold it in your heart forever? I don't think it's possible but I suspect that relaxing into each moment is one way of preserving it. I used to be a worry-wart, anticipating catastrophe. By living in the future, I missed the present. This weekend, I lived in the present. I watched a radiantly beautiful bride enjoy herself completely and it was wonderful. I let someone else take the photos and I just enjoyed myself.
This morning, shortly after dawn, I sat near my favorite window, watching the garden gradually come alive. As I contemplated the past weeks and months and the flurry of getting ready for the wedding and the weekend culmination of all of my daughter's planning, I was struck by the simplicity of my desire to live in the present moment.
Much as I wanted to continue to savor the moments of the weekend, I was distracted by activity in the garden as the world began to wake up. I spent a few minutes observing a squirrel. He was as still as a stone, up on his hind legs, front paws folded as if in prayer. He did not move for the longest time.
He seemed to be entirely engrossed in doing 'mountain pose' right next to my statue of St. Francis. Perhaps the squirrel was doing his impersonation of the statue. Who knows?
It was intriguing until a pair of cardinals caught my attention when they arrived for a morning snack of safflower seeds. They always have the same routine. The male hangs back in the tree while the female comes down to the feeder. After a few minutes, they change places. I think they guard each other from predators.
I didn't get a picture of the squirrel or the cardinals, but I did enjoy the relaxing time I spent sipping my tea, recalling a beautiful bride, a perfect weekend and watching the creatures who visit my garden. And I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for all these gifts and the privilege of staying present to them.
Today's Take-away - Practice staying in the moment, every moment.
Never have I dwelled in a corner of the blogosphere that has given me such a feeling of peace and wellness. I’ll have to go post a link to it on my facebook page. My organic gardening friends are sure to love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Don. That feeling of peace and wellness is my goal, in writing and in living my life.
DeleteThanks for the reminder. So hard to remember, in today's world, that the present moment is all we have. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteAll we need to do is notice!
Delete