Just after dawn, as I sat at my computer gazing out the window, a Great Egret flew to the redwood tree towering above the oaks and cypress of my fertile garden. My fingers left the keyboard as her claws gripped the topmost branch and she opened her wings into the wind. How does she stay on?
Dancing, ducking, swaying she meets the wind, wings wide, beak open with what looks like pure joy. She is gorgeous! Thirty minutes later she’s still there when I need to tear myself away.
She feels auspicious for the new year – a reminder to meet the winds that may buffet us with the same grace and joyful abandon, while tightly holding onto what matters most.
A lot has been written in 2019—current and impending trends of climate disasters and significant, fast-paced change: politically, technically, and socially. How do we best meet these personal and global forces? With wisdom.
I’m reminded of a time many years ago when I received wise counsel. I was experiencing fear about the impending birth of one of my children. An older woman told me that while I couldn’t control what would ultimately happen, I could prepare myself to meet any situation with a full and open heart.
Like the egret, may we meet the challenges of our world with a full and open heart. May we seek out and discover many moments of heartfelt happiness.
May we grow to be the wise leaders we need to be – conscious, imaginative, devoted, and courageous, concerned with the fate our planet, and committed to creating a viable future for all beings of the earth.