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We braved the ice-covered driveway and the minus 15 F’s wind chills to go for a dog walk, a rare occurrence this brutal winter.
Our reward was this lovely icicle, nearly the height of our mailbox. I am flummoxed as to the source of it, but it was a delight to see it, artfully placed by nature against a backdrop of the large pile of snow behind the mailbox. Light and shadow add to the beauty.
Nature, always a canvas, when we are watching.
Sometimes it’s the changing scenery around something that causes us to see a familiar sight anew.
One of my stained glass creations looked totally different to me today when it was framed by the new snow outside.
I should never assume that I have actually seen everything that I could see about something……new moments bring new dimensions of the spirit of things.
When I saw these these tree crowns that were illuminated by the rising sun this morning, I thought again about the pinnacles of Olympians.
I wonder what it is like to be an Olympic gold medal winner, after all of the media attention dies down.
Charlie White and Meryl Davis won the Olympic gold in Sochi, in Ice Dancing. They have been Ice Dance partners for 17 years, since Meryl was age 10, and Charlie, 9. Like any professional athletes, they have an intense training schedule. It’s their job, of course.
Right after their win, Charlie said that they had trained for winning the medal, but they hadn’t trained for the moment after the win.
I’m guessing that he was referring specifically to the immediate media onslaught that happens post-win. However, I am curious about what it is like to have trained nearly every day of your life for years, with that Olympic gold medal in mind (it was the primary goal they were shooting for) and then, you’ve done it.
Then what?
And that is exactly what everyone is asking Charlie and Meryl.
I haven’t heard anyone encourage Not Knowing, although that is the answer that they have been giving to the press. We don’t know. We’re going to take some time to think about it.
I’m curious about how much permission they are giving themselves to really be immersed in Not Knowing, and Not Having to Know. I hope it is a lot.
Our cultural mainstream message is something to the effect that you need to know, to have a plan about where you are going next, and what the next goal is, or, at the very least, what direction you are heading in.
And yet there is tremendous power in completely clearing a space out to truly Not Know. Like a white board, with nothing on it. Sometimes we are surprised at what shows up when we do that.
It takes incredible courage to stay in Not Knowing, until you Know. Luckily, Olympians have bucketloads of courage. Many blessings to Meryl and Charlie on their next journeys, whatever they may be.
I notice that in my rush to get somewhere else, I often miss the moment. I’ve shared that recognition before.
What I’ve also noticed is that I then miss the feeling of the moment, too.
Here is a simple moment where I caught myself and stopped to feel the welcoming, belonging, warm feeling of home, on a cold snowy night, when I really “took in” the light and the path.
How many nurturing, enveloping moments are waiting for me, just to take them in?
I’m playing with noticing my life differently this year, being present to the moments before they change. While they are being like they will never quite be, exactly, again.
Seems like there are a lot of those moments this winter.
In this one, it felt like the sky was brooding, in the power of the cold and the wind. Such a great moment.
I’ve been paying attention to the moments.
One thing I have learned is that they are fleeting, especially as nature paints her ever emerging canvas.
Last night, as we were driving down our road towards home, I caught this sunset out of the corner of my eye, just there for a fleeting moment.
Our driveway is still resembling a hockey rink, but today, I could feel that the sun has traveled noticeably toward the due East point, in its journey towards Spring Equinox.
The light is wider, fuller, more expansive.
What is the light teasing to awaken in you?
There really is magic everywhere, but I often either don’t see it or don’t really “take it in” to my heart. I’m discovering that this has been because I have a habit of thinking about where I’m going, rather than being where I am, as I move through my life.
This is such a simple discovery, but I am finding that my life is so much richer for it, by bucket loads!
This year I’m committed to experiencing my Best Year Ever, by allowing myself a different rhythm and a different quality of attention in my life.
This male cardinal frequently sits in this honeysuckle, and until now, when I see him, I have had a kind of “duly noted,” in-my-head response to seeing him, even though he always catches my eye. My response is probably developed from years of being a bird watcher, and coming from a keeping-track-of-what’s-out-there perspective.
Today, I allowed myself to sit down and really take him in from my heart, realizing what a miracle of color and beauty he is, and how much he animates the otherwise quiet winter landscape. I really took the time to let sink in how much I appreciate his presence in my yard.
This year I’m cultivating my Best Year Ever by paying a different kind of attention to my life.
The morning sun lit up this ice crystal landscape on a window, to my delight. Five minutes later it was gone, having melted in the warmth of the rising sun.
This year I’m exploring: What if the Best Year Ever can be about the attention I pay to my life, rather than circumstances, achievements, or events?
