Now. This moment.

Now. What are you feeling and experiencing right now? This moment.

Yes, Now. Where are you? What do see? Sunlight through the window or leaves on the tree. Your hands with a callous or a broken nail. The laundry to be folded or the inbox to be perused.

Now. Close your eyes. Feel the ground, the air, your body, each muscle, each movement, your breath, your breath… your breath.

Now. what do you smell? The bread on the counter, the plant in the earth, the soil, the wood on the floor where the sun excites the molecules. The potatoes in the bubbling pot or the fresh, soft linen on your bed. Sunlight like the warm rind of a lemon or rain like ozone and earth. Good. You are centering. Keep going. 

Now. What do you hear? Silence? No. Listen closer. Breeze in the trees, waves lap-lap-lapping, children laughing in the distance, insects buzzing around flowers, your air conditioner hum, the bird outside your window singing a familiar song.

Now. Go deeper. Within. What emotion are you experiencing at this moment? Pain is the past… let it go. Fear is the future… let it go. Now. Right there. Now. At the centre of it all. Gratitude. Gratefulness for the here, for now, for sight, for hearing, for touch, for breath, for sparkling sunlight and living soil, for bright birdsong and buzzy pollinators, for happy children and cooling rain. Breath deep. Sigh. Gratitude.

Now, did you find it, the gratefulness? Consider it, form it, feel it. And what is inside your rich, joyful gratitude? Yes. Now. Love.

Now… Love.

Blissful Ignorance

On August 1, 2016, my husband and I were at a family reunion on his grandfather’s side, the Cummings’ side. We stayed at the Inverary Resort in Baddeck. It was a lovely weekend in Cape Breton just getting to know new-to-us cousins, visiting the Alexander Graham Bell Museum and quiet moments to ourselves walking along the shore of the Bras d’Or Lakes at sunset. On the last day, before we headed back to the city and our work, we took a hike to a Uisge Bàn Falls.

The hike to the falls was an easy 1.5 km with our crew composed of various ages. The youngest of the group was three years old and the oldest cousin is in her early sixties. We took our time walking, chatting, discussing this tree formation or that flower. The brook beside the path babbled to itself, ignoring our chatter. It was a lazy hike on a hot summer’s day in the cool shade of the woods to an even cooler canyon at the bottom of the falls.

This was the last good day before James’ headaches started to hint at what was to come. It was a great weekend! I’m sharing pictures from that weekend in remembrance of the joy, the fun, the peace, and the love.

 

 

 

 

James had always wanted a pocket watch. This weekend I found the perfect one. I had meant to get it engraved but didn’t get a chance until after he passed away. “Through all time”

Dear chickadee

The sound of your voice caused me to pause for a while and listen to your sweet-weather love song, three clear notes repeating among branches and blossoms. You called, I answered and you moved ever closer with each response.

I heard, then saw, a mouse go scurrying by. He scampered, rushed and rustled then stopped to hide beneath a leaf – to catch his breath and bearings, to watch for hawk and fox.

Our eyes met briefly and each recognized, I think, a kindred soul.

We would not have met; however fleeting, if not for your song and I thank you for the introduction.

Note: The photos of mouse and chickadee are not mine; however, the other pictures are ones that I took during my walk this day.