What took me so long, I don’t know. I’d been wanting twinkle lights around at least one of my windows in my Joyful Pause Cottage for many years. It finally happened! And now I want another set for the window next to it. Hopefully, it won’t take me another few years to make that happen.

It’s such a simple thing that makes me happy and adds to the magic of the season (though I plan to keep them up all year to evoke even more magic!). Speaking of which, I’ve had two back-to-back magical moments that involve animals in trees that I thought you might enjoy hearing about.

Yesterday afternoon after waking from a short nap, I glanced at my Christmas tree. Still lying on the couch I was admiring the lights and looking forward to hanging the ornaments later that afternoon. My eyes moved up the tree and when I got near the top I saw the shape of a cat face. Feeling amused I starred longer and noted that part of the face looked like the shape of a rabbit’s face. A cat rabbit?  

Enjoying what I was seeing I then noticed that a paw was over the cat rabbit’s mouth as if containing a giggle. Looking at the cat once again I saw mischief in those steel black eyes! I silently laughed to myself and then eventually got up from the sofa. I sensed the message was to not take life too seriously.

Then this morning out on my morning walk, which I try to approach as a walking meditation and stay in the present moment, I’d realized my mind was filling with a million different thoughts. I reminded myself to stay in the present moment.

As I said this, I looked up to see a tree to the right of me and immediately saw what looked like the shape of an elephant head with a large eye and his trunk swaying upward. Within seconds I looked to the next tree and saw another elephant in the same way! Again, just like the cat rabbit I saw the day before it made me laugh silently to myself.

This year has been one big practice of remembering to stay in the moment and not get pulled into the chaos. And I know the animals are here guiding us and reminding us. While perhaps some may think what I saw was an illusion, I say not. I welcome the messages from the animals that keep me living in the magic and mystery of life.

xo,

Barbara

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