Yesterday upon realizing that the day had the makings of a perfect day—the combination of me being free from pain and the weather being sunny, bright, and a little cool—we packed up a quick lunch and headed to Afton State Park for a hike.
As summer draws to a close I hurry to savor and taste every drop of sunshine and goodness remaining.
Perfect Day???
We had a lovely time hiking at Afton State Park and enjoyed the beauty that surrounded us on our hike.
At the same time as I savored my day here in Minnesota I was aware of the countless lives devastated by Hurricane Harvey and countless others now facing devastation from Hurricane Irma. Add on the catastrophic wildfires in the western United States and I found myself holding a BOTH/AND stance.
The day felt perfect for me. But for others, the day was far from perfect.
With all of the severe weather in different parts of the country it is clear that profound shifts are underway.
I struggle to take it all in.
On the surface, here, in this place, my life has hardly changed, but around the world and in our own country profound shifts are underway. I cannot afford to ignore these changes, plead helplessness, or blame others. But still, I often feel confused about what actions to take.
I work daily to open my heart to allow myself to take in all of my feelings around these shifts and to stay in the present moment.
Along with countless people, I seek to be a part of the change that will help shift us in a more positive direction. The wonderful acts of heroism and kindness I saw reported in the midst of devastation in Houston showed me that we are all humans together on this big blue boat we call earth.
We can move beyond WE and THEY and become US
We can transform ourselves and our world. Each small action can make a difference. Eventually we’ll reach a tipping point. Which way we tip is still to be determined but I hold hope that we can create a better more just world.
Perfect days are an illusion. But better days are possible.
I don’t have any easy answers on how such transformation will look. What I do know is that growing my own mindfulness, seeking to become more compassionate, and being more present to the full catastrophe that is our world helps me to begin to make small changes.
All I can do is the next right thing.
It is time to work together and find solutions that will help mitigate the harm already done and begin to reverse the frightening changes that continue to grow and accelerate.
What is your next right thing?
May you walk in beauty.
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