The snow-laden path crunches beneath my feet; the frosty air turns my nose red and runny; the twinkling of stars in the distance catches my eye as I see my breath expand before me.
Nature’s beauty and power all around speaking a language only my heart understands. It tells me I’m not alone for God is here with me.
The sun warming my face; a cool breeze across my shoulders as the waves slap against the shore. My hair tousled by the wind; the smell of crisp, salty air I breathe in.
Birds circling above; some as friends, some on solo ventures. I watch and feel a lightness cover me as the burdens of the day drift away, out to the sea — far from me.
Peace fills my heart.
I dig my toes into the cool sand; each individual speck working together. I lose track of time; caught in the simplicity of nature.
I see kids and pets running along the shore. Free as those birds above, not a care in the world. Staying in the here and now; they are the joy of being.
I reset my mind. Nature helps with that. It brings me home, to simplicity.
Peace fills my heart.
All else drifts away, out to the sea — far from me.
Driftwood… made smoother by the tides, winds, and waves. Much like life, I too can be made smoother by the ups, downs and all arounds.
To accept or resist, therein lies my choice.
Do I view the world in full color or black and white? Do I go back and forth between one and the other? Is there a right or wrong, or just a difference of perspective?
As I observe and engage with the world around me, I perceive situations through my personally tinted glasses, as does each individual. This is my reality, or at least my illusion of reality. My experience—my interaction, my reaction—is in direct relation to who I am at that moment in time, and who I am is correlated to the life I have thus far experienced.
Therefore, all of life is a cyclical trajectory toward either the expansion or contraction of living—toward either love or fear. I move in and out of these two aspects as times passes—the hours, days, weeks, months and years. Two opposite yet guiding forces directing my path—yin and yang.
Once again, therein lies my choice—expand my life in love or contract my life in fear.
No two pieces of driftwood are alike—each unique. Much like human beings, who together, make up humanity. What a world, if we were to appreciate, respect and learn from one other. Our differences being viewed as complementary, each strengthening the whole.
How do I view differences—as strengths or weaknesses, will I build up or tear down?
Once again, therein lies my choice.
That is life, isn’t it. All choice. Will I pick the option that enhances my life or will I pick the option that detracts from my life. The latter typically being the default if we don’t choose to live with purposeful intent.
These are things I ponder as I walk along the shore of Lake Michigan.
PS: Does anyone else see the heart in the above piece of driftwood?
Angel K Will 