In the heat and humidity of late summer the pond behind our house has grown a kind of sludge that covers its surface. But still I find beauty in its colors and reflections.
As Summer Wanes
and heat and humidity still reign I was surprised to see painted turtles sunning on the log at the edge of the pond this morning. I would think that they might be seeking to escape the heat rather than bask in it.
This morning I went to my fairly new (today was my third time attending) weekly BAPS (Balance, Agility, Power and Strength) class. I really really hate this class! It’s super hard work and I end of red-faced, sweaty, exhausted, and cranky afterwards.
But, in a little while, after I’ve cooled off I realize that I feel good — really good. My aches and pains that I noticed before the class have vanished. And it’s easier to move and walk without pain. That’s when I decide that, no, I don’t hate the class and it appears that I need it, and yes, I will continue going to it. It would be really lovely if I could get the same benefits from doing something that I love doing without all of the hard work and sweat. But I don’t think that is going to happen. And though I wish I didn’t need this kind of workout I am ever so thankful to have it becoming a part of my life.
I think that it’s a good reminder to persist through discomfort at least some of the time to see what might lie on the other side of that discomfort. I’m not an advocate of pushing through pain but I am an advocate of exploration and gently pushing through inertia. Some of the most interesting and rewarding adventures I’ve experienced in my life caused me to push through fears and embrace the unknown.
Cherishing Life
Each time that I drive to my BAPS class I take the “back way” — streets and roads that avoid the freeway. And I find the relaxing drive sustains and enriches me. There is one long stretch of road where trees (lots of tall maples and other old wise ones) hug the curving road ever so closely. I see a canopy of green above me and beside me as I drive. And seeing it fills me with a sense of grace and peace. So many shades of green, so much grace, so much beauty. Soon the leaves will begin turning and falling and I will feel as if I am driving through God’s cathedral.
The Moth, The Mountains, The Rivers
Who can guess the Luna’s sadness who lives so
briefly? Who can guess the impatience of stone
longing to be ground down, to be part again of
something livelier? Who can imagine in what
heaviness the rivers remember their original
clarity?Strange questions, yet I have spent worthwhile
time with them. And I suggest them to you also,
that your spirit grow in curiosity, that your life
be richer than it is, that you bow to the earth as
you feel how it actually is, that we- so clever, and
ambitious, and selfish, and unrestrained- are only
one design of the moving, the vivacious many.— Mary Oliver
How are you feeling about the end of summer and arrival of fall? What sustains and uplifts you this time of year?
May you walk in beauty.
Note: Photos of the pond and backyard this morning on a hazy lazy day.
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