Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Contrasts

This morning, Isabella, sleepy-headed at breakfast table, said, “Mama, it’s been so nice to be here at home for Christmas--I don’t want to leave for school.”  In her little four years she, too, gets how absolutely lovely and wonderful sharing all this time together has been, and like her I have been hesitant to let it go. As I write, I steal glances at my Christmas tree, the mandate from my husband to take off the ornaments in the back of my head. I can’t do it just yet; I want to linger a bit in the loveliness of one of the best Christmases of my 42 years, to revel in the fresh memory of it so as years go on, I can access this feeling, this moment. Perhaps there will be even better moments to come, but this year will rank right up there, I think.

As we drove to school, we discovered the pearlescent moon “following us,” as she said, joining us for the ride.  And I found what I love about the ride: the textures of countryside in contrasts of color, the frost glistening in that moonlight and against the evergreens and matted grasses.  Each day of a busy 2014 I made it a point to try and find even the smallest bits of beauty in this world to focus me on what was more important than my burgeoning schedule, and here it was again: my practice of mini meditation had found me after all this time cocooning at home.

In contrasts we see the beauty of things--in fact, the most beautiful things often have the greatest contrasts exhibited in them, from works of art and nature, to beloved relationships, and everything else which touches and molds our souls. I want to continue this meditation into the new year, and my morning drive is one example of so many ways to bring this awareness to the frontal lobe. Doing this has refreshed my creative soul, the spirituality of my thinking, has even affected the genuineness of my relationships and of my vision, so I know practice makes not perfect but compassionate. If you have a moment and want to try it, maybe you could share with me what contrasts of beauty in your lives you have found lift you.  May your 2015 begin and end with this kind of unmitigated joy!