When I looked out the windows this morning I was shocked to see a white world again outside my windows. At first I was filled with dismay. But then I decided to
Look for the Beauty
of it all.
Because it is astonishingly beautiful.
And fleeting.
Already the snow is melting off the branches and sidewalk. Soon the fresh beautiful snow will be gone.
Life is like that. At times it is astonishingly beautiful even amidst great loss. And at other times it is brutal and ugly. Things change all the time, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. But every moment we get to choose what we look at and focus on.
I’m not suggesting ignoring the ugly parts. They are always present and only too real. But if one focuses on only the bad, life becomes a brutal slog. I believe that we are meant to see the totality of life including all of the beautiful things and kind acts.
Noticing and letting go
Lately I’ve begun noticing when I go into high anxiety mode. And when I notice that I’m doing that I ask myself, “Is this the way I want to be right now? What will bring me the greatest well-being?” Almost always the answer is to let go of anxiety and focus on the present moment. I intentionally look for the beauty of the moment.
Simply looking for beauty transforms everything.
When I am in pain instead of worrying about my pain, I step back and notice the pain. Almost always when I do that, I discover that the pain rapidly transforms and moves. Often it lessens, simply from letting go and allowing.
As we age together I find more and more reasons to worry about my husband’s health (along with my own). But the reality is that we are both mortal. Death will come, sooner or later. I want to savor the moments we have together. That means letting go of my worries.
I Worried
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.
Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?
Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning,
and sang.— Mary Oliver
I can only do let go of worries moment by moment. Often I go a long way down the worry path before I notice that I am worrying — again. Then I say to myself “In this moment what do I need?”
Almost always the answer is, “Let go. Trust. Look for the beauty.”
How about you my friends? Do you too, need to let go, trust, and look for the beauty?
May you walk in beauty.
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