“When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him. In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
~ Albert Camus
Classic lines, I have read them and repeated them many, many times. Parts of them run through my head often. But today, as happen sometimes they come to me in a whole new way, and I take a moment to shut off everything else in my head and really take this in, just like it’s the first time …
This morning, I have slept late, after a ‘wild night’ spent obsessively trying to complete a 2000 piece puzzle, a very big challenge called Tapestry of the Centuries by Vladimir Gorsky. A mosaic of sorts of 350 of the most influential people and events of the past 2000 years! One of those, ‘ugh this is impossible … wait, yes that goes there’ kind of things that sail you right into – um, it’s suddenly 4:00 in the morning!!
When I finally do emerge, I am met this morning at the kitchen door by a lovely little grey squirrel who I am sure is wondering where the snacks are. Hello lovely friend, and my day begins with a smile.
As I wait for the coffee to perk, I look out onto a grey cold looking day, a little dreary. Then I see the wind playing with a long abandoned seed pod that hangs from the trumpet vine in front of the window. The pod seems to have split into two, as to welcome a dancing partner in a Saturday morning Charleston.
Sitting to coffee with my husband, each of us quietly reading, and often sharing a passage or two always feels like a wonderful luxury, and a blessing to be able to blossom in the simple joys .. of just this.
From my chair, my attention is caught by the delicate lace that remains of the last leaf to still cling to the crab apple tree,
it too seems to sway to the symphony that, closing my eyes … I can almost hear. So that soon I too am swayed ever so slightly.
The sun very subtly makes it’s presence known through lingering clouds, just long enough for me to be taken in by her glory and feel my heart respond, meeting those rays of light , with my own.
In the bathroom, I suddenly notice a heart shape in the plush of the towel … again later, at the washing machine, I come to a smile at the sight of a lovely little heart shape formed on the lid, by a bit of dog hair, no less. Coming down the stairs I spot a swirl of red sparkle lying on the second step, just waiting to grace my path. Not noticed on my way up, in a rush, but most certainly captured my attention and gratitude when I stopped to pick it up, more present, on the way down. My heart light glows.
My lovely husband now comes in with two vinyl records he’s just picked up for me – Linda Ronstadt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. These are real treasures for me, as I owned and played to wearing thin my very own cassette tape versions of these beautiful big band era songs. (yes, I am just that old!) Just hearing once again the beautiful voice of Linda Ronstadt, along with the lovely little crackles and pops that come with a vinyl record, pure magic. A revisiting to nourish the soul.
As I look out on the neighbours garage, I can see a soft light shining, and I realize the sun is once again glimmering through. I close my eyes for just a moment and when I open them, the light is gone, the clouds have closed in.
I am blessed with this life, and all the wonder and beauty that surrounds, and continues to open for me anew, when viewed with fresh eyes. And this is a pretty incredible thing.
I realize these sightings to some may make me sound a little “woo woo” – or possibly I may need a little more sleep. But I choose, to always be open to Love and somehow, Love is just what I am shown. I could settle for the grey dreary nothingness of a wintery day, but instead I am blessed and grateful for all of this.
As with the lovely words of Albert Camus that I stumbled upon today, at once familiar and yet so wonderfully fresh and new, they seem somehow to come to me at just the right time, when I am open ..
and they slip quite appropriately, and yes, quite comfortably, right into my heart .. where I have saved,
just the spot.
and now, I believe Linda and Nelson are calling me, to the stage ♥