Stepping Back, Stepping Forward. Stepping In.

“This is the whole of the practice: simply walking, listening, and pausing. We practice presence so that we might cultivate our ability to really hear the voice of nature speaking to us.”

~Christine Valters Paintner

Earth: Our Original Cathedral, p. XV

Some days I feel as if I have forgotten everything I have learned about peace and quiet and resting into the present moment. I go through the motions of contemplative time, stretching time, writing and reading time. I take my daily walk, but instead of savoring every step and every sight, my mind is disturbed, and I miss just how scrumptious these experiences are, instead of being empty and ready to receive the next gift that shows up. (Fortunately, a couple of days ago I was ready when I chanced upon a beautiful, pink, blooming, lusciously smelling tree as I took my walk.) Even noticing and writing about going through the motions can be a form of going through the motions. 

At least I have some idea of what I am missing.

Even thinking about what I'm missing takes my eye off the present-moment ball, eh?  Sigh.....

Lots of folks don’t even know they are on autopilot. They just want to get to the next place. Meet the next goal. Win the next argument.  Get the next celebrity selfie.

Too often, I am one of those many people. I miss the humor embedded in my shortcomings. Take myself too seriously. Forget that it took even the Buddha and St. Francis some time to get to "just this". Unlike some of the joyous people I know, I miss having fun.  Having fun, I propose, is one of the best ways to truly partake of the present moment.  When we are having a fabulous time, laughing, smelling, eating, listening, dancing, we are having fun.  If we are doing all of that with others as well, we are having fun in the present moment with others.

This morning, in this moment, I breathe in, and out. I pick up my coffee, take a sip, and finish writing this sentence.

It is enough for now, to be here now.  I'm having fun, I'm smiling, thinking about the incongruity of having fun in the quietness of the morning, before the day really really starts.

It's funny, this kind of fun.

Moving the Buddha

To cut the weeds grown ‘round him

Now I move St. Francis

I drew this on the back of an envelope I'm sending.  I still have to figure out how to spiff up pictures like these digitally for sharing, but it's a start, eh?

And...I'm having fun learning a bit about drawing - yay!