As the April sky glistens and the spring air entices, I ask you to look again. I advise you. When you do not see, look again.
I could never have imagined that December day over a year ago, as I faintly looked around my hospital room, when I heard about the days that I had been there, how Lara had brought me in “just in time” and when I first faced my mortality up close and personal, that I would one day be grateful for that moment.
A famous lyric by Joni Mitchell goes, “Don’t it always seem to go, You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” There is such wisdom in that lyric.
My way of looking at things began to change. Try to imagine how I felt when I first saw my first brilliant blue sky.
Then imagine seeing those fluffy white clouds that appeared to be playing charades. What might you have seen in those playful clouds? Perhaps a giraffe looking down at you, or another cloud shouting down, saying, “See me, I am a flower!”
Now, try being very still. Silence your mind and just take in life’s show. It’s free.
The next time you see a squirrel, stop and watch the master acrobat put on a show without having to purchase a ticket.
Now bend down in the grass and pick a brightly colored dandelion. Pretend you are once more a child. Rub the flower against your face. Then blow it into the wind and make a wish. Marvel at all the miracles of nature that are ours to enjoy at our leisure for free.
Later, put on your favorite song. Let your soul breathe in, savor every note. While you are at it, stop and thank your ears for that gift.
Now, grab an apple and bite into its crispness, letting its sweet juice drip down your cheek. Relish in its deliciousness. Remember to thank your taste buds.
I have become a real fan of all my senses, even pain, for the sheer ecstasy of when it ends. Think of how wonderful it is that nothing is so good or so bad that it lasts forever.
Recently, I went out to lunch with a group of friends. We had just left a class on awareness and beauty. We all drove down the same street. When we arrived at our destination, I asked them each what they had noticed on their way there.
I was surprised when they each said that they had noticed nothing.
Then, I shared what I had seen. I noticed the purple crepe myrtle that was all decked out in its splendor. It made me happy. Stopping at a red light, I observed the abundance of pink shrubs that lined the road. I thought to myself, spring has sprung.
Over on the other side of the street, I saw a young boy, maybe four, riding a little scooter and grinning broadly. His parents were walking a few steps behind him, basking in the miracle that was their son.
I again stopped by a storage facility that had a fountain in front with a dancing waterspout, which gave me a great moment of entertainment.
My last delight on that short drive was a couple walking down the street hand in hand. This made me think about how Ron and I used to do that. I smiled both at the memory and the couple.
My friends listened intently and then said they had seen none of those things. I realized then how many times I must have walked by small miracles and paid them no mind. I grieve for those lost gifts of pleasure, beauty and awareness.
My mission for all of you, if you are willing to accept it, is next time you leave your home, have it become a sensation scavenger hunt. See how many gifts you can collect. Let your face smile broadly until it hurts, and then keep on smiling.
Try to remember the wise words said by actress Rosalind Russell in the movie Auntie Mame, “The whole world is a smorgasbord, and there are fools out there starving to death!”
So, once more I invite you to look around. Soak it all in. Enjoy every bite of what life has to offer you. Ah, go ahead! Life is out there waiting for you to devour it all. Smile, and then look again.
What better time than now?
April is a perfect time to not only be more aware of our surroundings, but also to respect the earth that is home to all of us. This year’s Earth Day is celebrated on April 18. This year’s worldwide event promises to be the most urgent global mobilization in the movement’s history.
In the United States alone, there are over 5,600 registered events, which include events in all 50 states. There are more than 180 countries participating.
Among the many forms of earth advocacy are education, concerts, parades and clean-ups. Within our great country, there will be marches, rallies and coalition efforts taking place in the cities of Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
Many faith-based events are scheduled, showing the importance of good stewardship of this earth, which is home to all of us. One of the biggest events scheduled is the 500-mile Great Mother March, which starts in Asheville, North Carolina and concludes in Washington, D.C.
Here are but a few of the ways that you can help out and participate: use a reusable water bottle or coffee mug, take a ride on your bike, take a hike or walk, use recyclable grocery bags, recycle, switch to LED lights, pick up trash and do not litter, plant a tree or garden, switch to paperless compost, adopt an animal or give a donation to a wildlife charity, spay and neuter pets, conserve water, eat locally grown foods, cut back on meat and dairy.
Remember, progress does not happen in silence. It happens when people show up!
Big changes can happen if we all do our part.
