Coffee in hand, I read Sister Joanna's beautiful post on gratitude around sunrise this morning and thought, "yes, this is what it (life) is all about", realizing almost at once that grace and gratitude are at the heart of this meandering morning exercise, just as much as my oft mentioned longing for home and the search for that beckoning but sometimes (seemingly) elusive place.When the sun rose above the old trees in the garden a short time later, I was delighted to see that my favorite rose was in bloom, and she was hung with great glowing blossoms and velvety buds along every stem and bough. The color, the texture, the fragrance - they were all just out of this world, and I sat in the wet grass drinking in the experience for quite a while.
In the face of such beauty and grace, how can one not entertain gratitude and give thanks to the Infinite for such gifts? To do otherwise is to be a crass, thoughtless and unworthy guest on this magnificent planet. The other thing (of course) is that wherever we are, we are at home, we are right where we should be, and we are all together. If I were not such a gormless old hen, I would remember this "stuff".
Thank you, Sister Joanna!
6 comments:
Oh, thank *you*, dear Cate. I give thanks every day when I read your blog, for your unique perspective on the world and for your glimpse into the great and tiny moods and visions of Mama Gaia. And you know, we *all* forget this stuff. That's why we have each other, so we get reminders! Blessed be.
Stunning photographs. How I give thanks for my camera...one of the many pleasures of my life.
I have been reading your blog with interest.
I came across today's post: "The other thing (of course) is that wherever we are, we are at home, we are right where we should be, and we are all together." Could you please explain further? I have often come across statements like this and I am always intrigued. I realize that walking thru your rose garden you feel that this is true.
But if you lived in Darfur and watched your family starve, had just been sold to human traffickers, or lost your child to cancer.... would you say the same?
EMJ
An admonishment to myself: that I should try to grow and bloom right where I am planted and not waste my valuable time on earth this time around wishing that I was somewhere else.
The post has much to do with Quaker and Buddhist notions of community and non-duality, with pagan notions of being grounded, rooted and connected to the earth and each other.
I do not truly know (and cannot know) how I would feel if I had lost my sons to starvation in Darfur or my daughters had been sold into the sex trade in Thailand. That kind of pain and suffering is beyond the ken of most of us, and while I might say that I have suffered from serious illnesses or from losing a child, my sufferings would be small and pale in comparison with those of someone in Darfur, or Zimbabwe or Afghanistan. I would (however) like to think that I would have the courage to continue lurching along and not cave in to despair.
Thank You, Cate, your Exquisite photography and Beautiful words bring more joy to my day than you'll ever know!
Love to you, and Cassie, too!
Mary Fran
Gorgeous shots (as usual). This reminded me again of the times (usually in the car) when I notice the light, or the way the weather works on this fantastic big ball, and I give thanks for how beautiful our planet is in all her moods and ways.
Post a Comment