The Grace Of Morning

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Marcus Aurelius

Last weekend the mountains welcomed me at dawn. The sun played hide-and-seek with nature and her surroundings. I glanced up and caught a peak of the beginnings of a golden waterfall. In that moment, I took a breath, inhaled and exhaled, and listened to the birds, looked up at the light blue sky and tried to bottle up the feeling of this kind of grace. – the ability to hike, to see, to hear, to feel the texture of what it means to be truly alive. How often do we remember this in the middle of our “busy” lives?

In the last month, I’ve forgotten the grace of simple things. The simplicity of knowing that you can walk out, take a breath, enjoy nature and love. Isn’t this what  it is about? I am always thinking about the road to somewhere I have not reached. Undermining what is in front of me, I tend to focus on all of the things that aren’t. In truth, there are so many joys in my life that are so fulfilling that I sabotage their essence.

I needed the reminder. That the existence of what is in my life should be revered. In the midst of my restlessness, I allow myself to plunge into a spiral of everything that isn’t. The grace of the witnessing this morning taught me that these moments are short, fleeting and temporary. But it is up to me to sink into the glory of such goodness without yearning for more.