As I drove through my small town of Elkhart Lake , this building, which is unique to begin with, especially caught my eye today.
Look at all those icicles blending in with what looks like grapevine on the wall! I wrote yesterday on my blog about looking for the beauty from the spring snowstorm, instead of grumbling about it as I’d been doing, until I snapped myself out of it.
The more we look for beauty around us, even when we think spring should be here by now, it’s confirmation that when we open ourselves to what is and pay attention…we are gifted with a magical moment such as this one – and again reminded that there are blessings in transition.
SPRING
by Camille Gotera
When the cold, harsh winter has given its last breath, When the sky above shows life instead of death, When the claws reaching to the frozen sky become decorated with leaves, When the animals -long in hiding- scurry from trees, We know winter has ended.
When the frost on grass is replaced with sweet dew, When the fields become dotted with flowers, reminding me of you, When the lonely silence becomes filled with melodies, When you feel warm air, erasing bad memories We know winter has ended.
When the hard, bare ground becomes painted with green, When the frost-bitten air becomes fresh and clean, When the coats and boots are all stored away, When the playgrounds become occupied again with child’s play, We know winter has ended.
When you hear the pleasant sound of children’s laughter, When the air is filled with joy- long sought after, When the world is filled with sunlight, brighter and longer, When the song of Mother Nature becomes stronger, Spring has begun.
March… the month of transition…that in-between space. Winter still shows itself at times, but it doesn’t linger as long. As the sun moves closer to the earth it helps usher in a tease of warmth of the promise of what is on the way.
A space of in-between is where I find myself also. Are you feeling this too? During my yoga practice Friday morning I held boat pose with a new resolved strength of determination.
As I gazed at the gully of naked trees outside my window, a Robin landed on a Sumac bush. Pecking at the dried seed, I thought how even though the bush was dormant all these months it was still providing nourishment, thus life, to the Robin.
I’ve been in this deep-seated space of inward contemplation again, peeling back layers I never thought would be part of my unfolding. At times, it’s been emotionally painful with a new recognition of how it affected my body with a deep ache.
The good news is that my willingness to look inward I was able to make the connection between my thoughts and my body. Once I did, the pain I was experiencing faded away within a few days. I’m grateful for the new awareness of how our emotions truly can affect our bodies.
The other good news is that while I’m not ready to share fully what my contemplation has been about, as I’m still navigating and integrating it all, I’ve had this tickling in my heart.
A tickling that what I’m going through may be leading to another book I will write. While I can’t say for sure at this point, I’m gathering thoughts and insights that are currently flowing through me.
There is a stirring of wanting a change in my life and this recognition of a need to honor the truth of where I am and the feelings I’m having, and how it continues to reveal itself to me. While watching the Robin fill himself with nourishment, I recognized myself in the reflection.
A moment of reflective understanding from Robin
In order to be at peace and in this space of the unknown and what lies ahead, it’s important to nourish and care for myself. It’s something I guide my clients to do when they come to me needing help when feeling stuck as it’s vital in order to be able to move outwardly when the time is right.
Nurturing our inner world is the first step before we can take steps toward what is next for our lives. It will never come from external forces, and if it does, they are only temporary.
Feeling more empowered as I continued to hold boat pose, enveloping it as fully as possible so I could carry it with me, I came to understand something.
As I visualize the distance along the shoreline of where I wish to head and am already on my way, I must also remain flexible, and gently tend to a space of inner calm so the flow of my life can unfold as it’s meant to.
While I trust I will reach my destination, I’ve also come to understand that I’m already there in many ways. There is no need to rock the boat.
Instead, be with the flow of the ride, stay open for signposts, and appreciate the larger waves that may try to engulf me as all part of the process.
I’m also reminded once again that within transition lie blessings waiting to be revealed. Writing another book was not on my conscious radar until now and I’m beginning to see this as an unexpected gift.
And the more I open to the idea, the more I see an authentic opportunity. And so this boat becomes my vessel to a revelation that calm waters are here now and more are on the horizon as well.
This darling little red squirrel came to visit yesterday. Perhaps he has been around these parts before, but it’s the first time I’ve seen him.
I stopped what I was doing to watch him. I mean, how could I not, right?
I’ve been in a funk for the last two weeks with concerns about Gidget, of which I’m still working through.
Watching Mr. Red Squirrel I found my mood lightening up a bit and a smile came to my face.
After dining on a few kernels of corn he scampered down the side of the deck railing, and skittered here, there, and everywhere on the deck, making me laugh out loud. Then into Mr. Tree he ran (formerly our Christmas tree) who is now lying on his side on our deck. If you missed my post about Mr. Tree, who created a special memory, you can read about it here.
For a few weeks Mr. Tree was upright in the corner where I was able to enjoy him just a wee bit longer, gazing at him through the patio door often when sitting in my big red chair in my living room. But his needles are quickly drying as the sun moves closer to the earth everyday now, along with some windy days we’ve had.
I’ve felt bad that Mr. Tree can no longer stand and is moving through this transition. But as Mr. Red Squirrel scampered in-between the branches having fun jumping all around, I realized how sweet that Mr. Tree, even though now frail, had a new purpose.
Those few moments of pausing and reflecting with Mr. Red Squirrel as my animal allie with was just the therapy I needed. Reminding me that change is always present. Accepting this is key to living a life with less suffering. Perhaps I’ll have this challenge mastered before I leave this earthly plane, but for now, I thank Mr. Red Squirrel and Mr. Tree for the needed reflection.
Mr. Red Squirrel also reminded me to not take life too seriously and to be sure to have fun… and yup…even when life feels challenging.
I’ve not seen Mr. Red Squirrel today as of yet, but see that Hank, the grey squirrel has returned. So perhaps Mr. Red Squirrel feels I got the message and may not appear until I need another reminder…and rest assured, I likely will. So best keep a cob of corn on the deck for him. 🙂
