It's interesting to go from the eastern Caribbean to Atlanta, GA to
Asheville, NC in the span of a week. It's almost like stepping
backward through the seasons of spring and summer. St. Thomas feels like
perpetual summer to me, no matter what time of year it may actually be.
When we returned to Atlanta, the dogwoods were already beginning to
fade, and the white azaleas in our front yard, which were about to burst
forth when we left for vacation, had already started turning brown by
the time we returned. Then we drove up to Asheville, where the dogwoods
and azaleas were just getting started and the tulips were full tilt, and got to experience the part of spring we had
missed!
So much can happen in a week--or even a couple of days. Friday, I went to the North Carolina Arboretum and was captivated by a
row of white virburnum in full bloom, covered in happy yellow
swallowtail butterflies.
Sunday, I rushed back to the same spot, only to discover that there were
almost no blossoms left and not a butterfly in sight.
You can wait all year, like a child longing for Christmas, and almost before you know it, it's time to put the decorations away. My experience of growing up was also like that: I could hardly wait to be "old enough," which lasted maybe 5 minutes before I crossed over into "too old."
All these things are reminders of the importance of paying attention. The present moment is the only one we can know for sure that we have in this life, yet it's easy to miss it by constantly dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Surely, there is a time for reminiscing and a time for planning, but both are best done consciously.
I've been walking outside more and making an effort to pay attention to nature and the wonder of creation. As a result, I notice myself experiencing delight more often than I used to. I'm excited by the scent of newly-mown grass or wide-eyed at a glimpse of a beautiful flower that wasn't there yesterday. Delight is a delicate enough emotion that if you aren't tuned in you can miss it. But there are many opportunities to experience delight when you watch for them.
What delights you? Watching your child or grandchild? A cool drink on a hot day? Hummingbirds? The sound of laughter? Warm rain on your skin? A playful puppy? (Cue My Favorite Things...) Just as an experiment, watch for opportunities to be delighted this week. You may, indeed, be delighted with the results.
You can wait all year, like a child longing for Christmas, and almost before you know it, it's time to put the decorations away. My experience of growing up was also like that: I could hardly wait to be "old enough," which lasted maybe 5 minutes before I crossed over into "too old."
All these things are reminders of the importance of paying attention. The present moment is the only one we can know for sure that we have in this life, yet it's easy to miss it by constantly dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Surely, there is a time for reminiscing and a time for planning, but both are best done consciously.
I've been walking outside more and making an effort to pay attention to nature and the wonder of creation. As a result, I notice myself experiencing delight more often than I used to. I'm excited by the scent of newly-mown grass or wide-eyed at a glimpse of a beautiful flower that wasn't there yesterday. Delight is a delicate enough emotion that if you aren't tuned in you can miss it. But there are many opportunities to experience delight when you watch for them.
What delights you? Watching your child or grandchild? A cool drink on a hot day? Hummingbirds? The sound of laughter? Warm rain on your skin? A playful puppy? (Cue My Favorite Things...) Just as an experiment, watch for opportunities to be delighted this week. You may, indeed, be delighted with the results.
No comments:
Post a Comment