This morning first thing, I’m standing at the kitchen sink
to brush my teeth, (yes, I am indeed a little strange)
I look out the window at the trumpet vine and up into the pine tree
and I marvel at the shimmering shiny pine needles
the morning sunlight makes them look like glistening silver
for some reason they make me think of dancers on a stage
how very lovely,
as this thought passes through my head, I look out onto the garden
and when my gaze returns to the magical pine tree
the light has changed
the glistening has gone
just like that, I think to myself, wouldn’t it have been a shame
to have missed
this brief bit of
shine
a very real consequence of a grateful heart and mindful living
is in noticing
a pretty powerful side-effect, I believe, and also a pretty
wonderful one
when I go out to feed the birds, I stop for a minute to feel the sun
it has been a bit of a cool start to the day
and cloudy
but just then I notice, the sun is shining warm and bright
on me
and I stop to let its warmth fill me
and here I take a deep cleansing breath, and I feel as if I haven’t exhaled
for a few days
an odd sort of feeling, I have been terribly stuffed up off and on for days (weeks really)
by rather rotten allergies
and breathing has felt a little like a struggle
here in this moment, I cease my struggle and just softly, but fully I
exhale
to noticing… light
and
breath
I have been reading a book about the history of southern cooking and the people
to which it belongs, from whence it came,
from whence they came
African American history and genealogy
at times fascinating and wonderfully rich, a great deal of time
horrible and unfathomable
never am I quite able to understand how a people, any people
can look upon another human soul and think to themselves
Ok, now I own you and you shall be treated this way
I don’t know how it starts, I don’t how it continues, it’s just not something that sits with me
and ever in any way can it feel anything even remotely close
to right
and yet, so very sadly and even sadder, not so shockingly, it is the history
of so very many people
and I read, so that I
will know
will notice…
where I live we are in the midst of provincial elections
and as such we are being constantly bombarded by
h*te speech and attack adds
in the post, on the tv, radio, social media
newspapers, phone calls
on frantic repeat as deciding days come closer
increasingly nasty, it is sometimes a struggle to not give in to cynicism
it’s tiresome and troublesome
and I wonder why we can never
find a better
way
to notice
problems
to find
solutions
to work for the people
instead of just against
each other
my husband getting ready for work,
struggles to tie his tie neatly
or
to his liking
in my current mindset, I tell him
you need to go gently
to not fight against it
it will go better
he seems to ignore my ‘hippy-dippy-words-of-wisdom’
but before long, the tie is tied
and he is looking very sharp
now this, I always notice…
love
after her goes,
I make myself a cup of tea
and go out to sit with the birds
in the great balm that is my garden
in the
sunshine and gentle breeze
I watch the clouds
I watch the fish,
the cardinals and the blue jays
I watch a rather joyous assortment of baby birds
as they come and go
on new found fluffy wings
I watch the squirrels, who do seem rather grateful for the offering of nuts
in the feeder
I watch the light as it shines and the shadows on the snowballs
I listen to bird calls, squirrel scolds
and airplanes over head
I watch a dragonfly, and a bee
and tiny bits of fluff as they dance around me
I think about kindness, and unkindness
and just how important it can be
to notice
where it is we find ourselves In this
I think about knowledge and understanding
and the necessity
of
both
and then,
I turn my face to the sun
I close my eyes
sinking into my heart
I smile
fill myself with light
and offer up
my gratitude
then
deeply, I inhale, Love
and gently
I exhale,
peace ♥
