Living Water
This week I was reminded of the necessity of the “yes, and’s” of life. Yes, big waves of grief and overwhelm have pummeled my family’s shoreline for the last few years. Yes, the past 3 weeks new waves have come rushing in with the force of a tsunami.
And, life in the ocean is more than these waves.
Birthday celebrations with friends who spoil me more than I likely deserve. A benefit event that my beautiful, brilliant friend hosted through her cancer exhaustion. My children laughing hysterically with their cousins. A treat of a dinner celebration with my parents and siblings that included individual-sized, scrumptious yellow cake with house made funfetti ice cream. I mean, really?! Could it get better than that?
Small daily joys in the form of rituals I’ve created to remind myself that I can and do care for myself. Both my daughter and son learning to make spectacular morning cappuccinos (I will feign incompetence of this for as long as humanly possible). There’s more and’s but for now this is enough.
I made a commitment to contemplate, consider, understand delight. To make delight a study, to search it out, let it be easy some days and harder others. But to say yes, there’s so much hurt and hardship AND there’s more.
These reminders send me back to living waters.
What about delight on the days when there seems none or when there is so much else to pay attention to? Why and how to study delight?
I’m learning that delight is more important, but harder to slow down and notice, during these times. Of course, you might be thinking.
It’s sort of like finding water during a drought. Living water sometimes needs to be collected in advance in a well, much like the water we drink, in order to pull from its depth during the dry times. My store of delight has started to fill buckets—and just in time.
Or maybe I go smaller—paying closer attention to what might seem simple or mundane. On a recent trip to the farm market, three young women employees chitter-chatted about absolutely nothing—their love of Target shopping trips, why the apple they convinced me to try is their favorite, laughter over their previous weekend. Easy. Simple. Delight in the mundane.
This week, at my son’s mountain biking club, I dragged my reluctant daughter with me to walk the mountain trails. Our walk took us out to an orchard where I paused suddenly to witness the light cascading down over the mountain onto the apple trees. My daughter was mid-tirade against most of life when I pointed out the scene to the side of us. Suddenly, she looked up, she actually noticed with me, and—delightful surprise—she agreed with me!
Delight in small doses that equal up to a bucket full of living water.
I just know that life is worth all of these yes, and’s.
I’m heading off to the Greek Island of Amorgos this week friends. In fact, as you read this, I’m preparing to fly out until October 19th. So please forgive my lack of mailer next Sunday. I’ll be leading the yoga and well being retreat, and am leaving my computer behind in order to give the attendees, the island, and myself my full attention. I’ll return Sunday October 23rd with your next Sunday Retreat.