The Gift of Life

This beauty will not show itself

like a face or hands or any bodily thing at all,

nor as a discourse or a science,

nor indeed as residing in anything,

as in a living creature

or in earth or heaven or anything else,

but being by Itself with Itself always in simplicity;

while all the beautiful things elsewhere

partake of this beauty in such manner,

that when they are born and perish

IT becomes neither less nor more

and nothing at all happens to IT....

-Mary Oliver

Today, have we fully received the gift of life? Have we been alive to each moment as life unfolded its magnificence before us? In one tradition, it is called “mindfulness,” in another tradition it is simply “being aware.” Do we live each day as it was our first and our last?

There is a lot of talk about a great shift that is occurring on this planet. There are many perspectives as to what is going happening…some good and some not so good.

As I am here in the N.C. mountains, it has become so clear to me the simplicity of it all. As Esther and I walked in the Dupont Forest today, hiking the trail up to the Triple Falls, this very basic question came to me: ”Am I fully present in this moment, receiving this gift of life?”

When I truly received what was in front of me, with love and gratitude, I realized this simple act of being fully present honors the gift of life in all of its various expressions. Gratefully receiving it all, is the contribution I can make to this “shift” taking place, which seems to be bringing us all back in touch with our Wholeness.

I received a beautiful You Tube today that shares this perspective so perfectly. You may want to view it yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5DYFL4Wl4k

So, just another day in the simplicity of living life to its fullest…oh, how remarkable and magnificent and holy it is!


May I never not be frisky,
May I never not be risqué.

May my ashes,
when you have them, my friend,
and give them to the ocean,
leap in the froth of the waves,
still loving movement,
still ready,
beyond all else,
to dance for the world.

- Mary Oliver