Squirrels and Snowflakes

Living gratefully, I appreciate the opportunities each day presents. Opportunities to ponder and practice the true presence I mentioned yesterday. 

There have been strange days and difficult times in 2020. For all of us. And there are silver linings. Some we may not even see yet. 

One of my silver linings has been real life really asking me to stop, notice, focus, acknowledge, open to grace and acceptance. Some days it is the only thing that tethers me to some stable ground. 

Let's get this straight too--true presence isn't always about experiencing joy. Sometimes it is about fully feeling the pain, fear, and uncertainty in the moment at hand. The key is embracing the emotion, because it is the genuine emotion that guides us to the next moment. Sounds pretty heady. It should be. 

My word for this year has been “stillness.” A good word for the perpetual thought and action machine I can be. Yesterday some squirrels and snowflakes were my teachers. We have had two significant snowfalls in the last week, after enduring gray and drab for several weeks.  

The squirrels are now more obvious as they scurry across the white landscape. I watched a couple doing the work of searching for food. Different work now than it was before the snow. In the stillness, I felt a simple connection to other living things. Connections are important.

Then the next round of snow started falling. I love walking in snow as it comes down. I enjoy shoveling it too. I took a moment here and there in my time outside to just notice the flakes falling. Considering the millions and millions that fell, and thinking about the millions and millions of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Each snowflake and each person add up to something this world wouldn't be without them.

Here I go. Getting all heady again with potent and profound ideas. Maybe it is best to let the snow speak for itself: