“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience.
Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”
~ Hal Borland, author of ‘The Memoirist’
The cool breezes of Virgil have subsided somewhat, as the 30+ mph winds have shifted from North to South. My sitting for the sunrise – pretty, yet uneventful – was marked with periods of jumpiness, then calm, as I worked to steady my mind’s angst.
Last night, our neighbor texted Spencer, as someone had rammed the electronic gate leading into our community, and broke it. The short cryptic message implied that our villa guests were to blame. Our neighbor simply sent a photo of their jeep, asking “Is this your guests?”. It turns out our security cameras aren’t good enough to catch license plate numbers, but only generalities, and the culprit was a silver jeep. We opted not to disturb our guests with the insinuations, but to wait for more information. A quick inspection revealed there wasn’t any evidence on their front bumper. Spencer informed me as I sat this morning that the culprit did not have a cover on their back tire. Villa guests off the hook.
My mind, as many minds, wanted to reply this scenario over and over, grasping, wanting to get pissy about the rudeness of text messaging, thinking nasty thoughts of my neighbor. But I would not let it rest there …..
Back to metta practice. Breath love in, breath angst out, and spread love out to neighbor. Refocus the mind on the rising sun and the grass beneath.
As the above quote says, growing grass truly is amazing. I was thinking how grateful the grass must be for the rain that we received yesterday. Yet, even with less than half an inch all year so far, the grass still manages to spring up. That’s persistence!
Quoting the great Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in an earlier post …
The Cosmos is filled with precious gems. Each moment you are alive is a gem, shining through and containing earth and sky, water and clouds. It needs you to breathe gently for the miracles to be displayed. Suddenly you hear the birds singing, the pines chanting, see the flowers blooming, the blue sky, the white clouds… We should enjoy our happiness and offer it to everyone. Cherish this very moment… Let go of distress and embrace Life fully in your arms.
Yep, when we get out of the repetitive nature of our minds, beauty and love abounds. Our life is a miracle. Let go, send love, and embrace life ♥
