Joy in the Bleachers!

Heidi’s post on Tuesday brought to mind an excerpt from one of my favorite books so far written (or at least so far read by moi), The Book of Awakening. Mark Nepo writes, “One key to knowing joy is being easily pleased… Light is in both the broken bottle and the diamond, and music is in both the flowing violin and the water dripping from the drainage pipe.  Yes, God is under the porch as well as on top of the mountain, and joy is in both the front row and the bleachers, if we are willing to be where we are.”

My intent today in my quest to experience extraordinary joy in my ordinary moments is to be where I am… wherever I am.

I realize this sounds like such an obvious and effortless task, yet I have found that it requires my fully-focused, conscious awareness and vigilant practice… not to mention patience.  Being a Gemini, focus and patience aren’t usually my strong-suit. Yet in those moments that I have triumphed in my being-where-I-am-endeavors, I have been rewarded immeasurably with both an overwhelming sense of  purpose and a divine connection with something so much more expansive and profound than myself… both gifts I am certainly open to experiencing today!

I carry those moments close to my heart…driving in the spring-time sun, windows down, music up… holding my husband’s hand while we laugh with our kids… in the bleachers passionately cheering with my mom & sisters… holding my swollen-eyed soul sister as she brings her dad home to hospice care… sipping tea in the morning silence... stroking my newborn’s silky hair during a midnight feeding… witnessing my kids looking out for one another… and I am longing for more. How about you, my friend?

Today I am open to seeing beauty in both the broken and the benevolent, hearing music in both the moans and the Motzart, sharing joy with both the joy-filled and the jaded, and experiencing God’s glorious love in both the garden and the gully. Care to join me?

I am here.

-Tracy Snow