In
the Moment
“Each
moment is a place you've never been.”
Mark
Strand
My friend, Linda,
graciously introduced me to the poetry of Mark Strand. In his poem,
“Lines For Winter,” he wrote:
“...And
if it happens that you cannot
go on or
turn back and you find yourself
where you
will be at the end,
tell
yourself
in that
final flowing of cold through your limbs
that you
love what you are.”
Life is an adventure from
beginning to end. I sat on my porch in seventy degree heat just a day
ago listening to birds singing their spring songs, and thinking what
an incredible gift it is to be a human being. To have been given
all these marvelous senses to take in and appreciate the world.
Today, the weather is cold—and by that I mean it's in the
30's—which I realize would be a heatwave in Minnesota or North
Dakota at the moment. Everyday is different, and even freezing winter is
worthy of celebration.
As I get older, I realize
more and more just how precious life it—how important it is to stay
present so that I don't miss anything. Yes, most of it is routine—I'm
not flying off to exotic places or discovering a cure for cancer. My
friend, Anna, just landed in snowy Zurich, the city that owns her
heart and soul. I have never been there, but I can enjoy it through
her eyes. My life it not exciting, and yet I do see crocus popping up
in the yard, and even the spring weeds have purple flowers. My
rosemary is blooming—and jonquils already! I have happy eyes! How
about you?
What if we were to look
at each moment as a place we've never been? Would that be adventure
enough? Could we feel “idle and blessed” (Mary Oliver) right
here, right now, watching snow fall, or discovering crocus blooms in
the grass? Would they be sufficiently exciting? If you found yourself
at the end of your life, would you love what you are?
In the Spirit,
Jane
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