I was waiting to make a left,

to get out

of traffic. She was across from me, in a

 

red hatchback, waiting to enter. The cars

whizzed by like hornets. Our eyes met briefly

and the whole journey was suddenly evident:

always going somewhere, always unsure how

to get there, waiting for the chance to join,

to lead, to follow, relieved to make our way,

till we miss our exit and wonder, “Where to

now?” The speed of the traffic made our cars

shimmy. We caught each other’s eye again,

missing our chance. She shrugged. I laughed.

The moment of pause had opened a different

dimension that made us impervious to the pull

of the hive, at least for a while. Then, in a flash,

she was sucked into the whir. Someone behind

me began honking. I couldn’t move. I wanted

out. Once home, I had a glass of water on the

deck, where the peony, weighed down with

all its beauty, was drinking from the birdbath.

I thought, “Oh, teach me how to stop.”

~Mark Nepo

a gentle reminder for this time of year…..to be in the whirlwind without missing the tiniest moments of grace….

inquiry for today~   rekindle your capacity for awe in a hurried moment…….how will you remember?

how we sit still

I have arrived. I am home. My destination is in each step.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh