Reading from Eve Eschner Hogan's work, "Way of the Winding Path - A Map for the Labyrinth of Life," I came upon these words - and I paraphrase a little -
"Backpacking on the (island) of Kauai along a magnificent coast, I weaved my path toward the sacred destination eleven miles in the future. After three days at the destination, I took a boat back along the shore and viewed my journey from a difference perspective. I had missed all of the splendor of the journey because I spent the entire walk looking toward my destination, thinking about how much further until I was there, and counting the miles."
These words were such powerfully personal words to me today as I am striving to live every moment in the presence and not as it will be when I do this or that. Entering one's late autumn (ha) one's early winter (?) years, looking back can be an incredible experience and exercise in seeing and realizing what blessed events I might have missed in my own life.
I'm not going to lose sleep over those missed events but I do want to remember some of the most precious ones in my life and to simply treasure the events of this day as they unfold for me. The blue sky - there is a teeny bit showing - the breeze making the spring day feel colder than it is, the squirrels drinking at the bird bath - assuring the birds that it's a squirrel possession rather than a bird hangout, with the birds ignoring the squirrels! The peace and quiet of our home, often interrupted by the raucous barking of our two beloved dogs, and the good fortune of housekeepers who temporarily will upset the quiet as well later today. The blessing of friends dropping by for tea and a chat, and my weekly brain-clearing spiritual formation group studying excerpts from Annie Dillard's, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." The sight of my beloved busily transforming thoughts into sermons, blogposts, or letters at his computer or taking a snooze in his favorite chair......
These unheralded moments surrounding me are indeed mundane and too numerous to count but they bring me peace and God's love on a daily basis. Would that I count these days as the splendor of my life no matter how small are inconsequential they might seem as I list them.
And you, do too many days pass when you don't count the splendor of routine, of your shelter, your transportation, your friends, your family.........please count them today for me and for you.
In the end, everything is "small and inconsequential," and somehow seeing this makes the ordinary illuminated.
ReplyDeleteIf I am truly present in the moment, then I'm not comparing this "ordinary" moment to some other more "interesting" one in the past or the future.
It sounds like you and I are at similar steps in our journeys - the step where you learn to stay in the step, instead of focusing on the journey. A good place, a very good place to be. Hmm. The ONLY place to be, it would seem.
my present moment is noticing dr. "ken" siegal credited for writing mindsight... i imagine dr. "dan" siegel might be grateful if he was credited, too.
ReplyDeleteok... now i can write about me. living in the present. amazed at how many thousands of moments and more than a few years drifted by in a haze. today wondering how different my mother's life might have been had she cherished all of those moments we kids thought she sat doing nothing. perhaps she did? nah. sadly, i don't think so.
it's gray here this morning. i had a few too many "present" moments during the night trying to get back to sleep :( i love this post and can vividly see in my mind's eye each moment you describe. they are indeed special! xoxo
Hi Pollinatrix -
ReplyDeleteLiving in the present is a habit that's hard to establish but certainly makes life more fun if we stay open to all that is being offered to us:)
xo
Hey Lucy,
ReplyDeleteWhoops, thanks for the heads up on Dr. Dan's book rather than Dr. Ken:)
Those thousands of moments gone - not to worry about the past are we - let's see how fabulous today is going to be, I mean "is!"
I must think of the present moment now and get out of my pajamas!
xoxo
I was just reading a post in which the writer described taking her son for ice cream after he had five immunizations and how she was hurrying him along when he so wisely replied that if she'd just try "imagining" in her heart she wouldn't be bored. He was totally in his moment.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Dianna. We have 2 crazy dogs also and they are constantly disrupting my nows. :^}
ReplyDeleteIt's absurdly funny (and sad) that it's hard for us to establish the habit of living in reality! What dumb bunnies we are.
ReplyDeleteI expect that living in the moment means that all preceding moments are gone and no longer of any importance.
ReplyDeleteThis feels totally refreshing and not easy at all to achieve. Once in a while yes -- at least for me.
Living in the moment means being at one with the Universe, it being a raindrop on a leaf :-)))
Thank you for the inspiring post.
Maureen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the story re mom and child - I suspect that children are much better at "being in the moment" than adults. Our monkey mind is too busy planning ahead.
xo
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteThe dogs - what a trial - what a bother - what an absolute JOY they are and bring to us:) Can't imagine life without them.
xoxo
Pollinatrix and Claire -
ReplyDeleteYour comments amuse me with your descriptions of us "being" - from "dumb bunnies" to a "raindrop on a leaf" - both can fit our lives and moments. Some silly, some profound - the choices God gives us are astounding. Hope you both enjoy your moments today and surprise yourselves by actually being "in them" occasionally:))
xo