Now is all we have, and it’s a lot!
One oh so enchanting evening
In this edition of Soul Notes we explore what it means to capture those special moments in time.
Sitting in front of my casita, from atop the cliffs high above the smooth sea, along the central coastline of Mexico: I am joined by two other caring souls as we look out at the nearly black night sky snuggling the horizon and the calm ocean waters a few hundred feet below. Directly centered in front of us, along with a canopy of stars above, we see the moon slowly setting over the water.
As the moon descends, its reflection of sunlight forming a crescent shape, it turns with solemn power from a bright white to a warm and welcoming golden hue. After several magnificent minutes, without even a whisper, the moon’s silhouette slips behind the horizon line and out of view.
We gaze out at the ocean in awe as we humbly appreciate the beauty and magnitude of this moment. We are reverent witnesses to nature and the cosmos, and to all that is.
Okay, so I may wax poetically like this from time to time. How can I not? Moments such as these beg for quiet reflection and invited rapture.
As posed by the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
To be human is to live with a certain level of consciousness, awareness and appreciation for all that our senses, well…sense. Our human experience is indeed a sensual one.
In the film “City of Angels” starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, there is a scene in which Seth (Cage’s character, who comes to Earth as an angel), yearns to know the taste of a pear. He asks Maggie (Ryan’s character) to describe it for him. A bit perplexed by the question, Maggie takes a minute to find the words to convey how the pear tastes to her. Seth later in the movie experiences for the first time, the bodily sensations of hot water hitting his skin while taking a shower.
Simple moments perhaps. Things we often take for granted. And, yet they can be profoundly beautiful as well. This is when our hearts and bodies serve our minds, and not the other way around.
“Where words fall short, experiences stand tall.” –Lori A. Noonan
As a writer, I’m quite fond of words. Heck, right now you’re reading a blog article, I do realize (grin).
With words, we do our best to capture what our senses innately feel. We have sensory-based phrases such as:
“In my mind’s eye”
“Touching moments”
“Hot blooded”
“Cold hearted”
“I hear you”
“I see you”
“I feel you”
“Tastes like freedom”
The senses – sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, and even a “sixth sense” of intuition and innate knowing -– all provide us an opportunity, in so many ways, to experience life in all its richness and supreme depth. It’s up to us to tune in and be all that it means to be human.
Our lives are a string of special moments in time. Let’s be aware of what makes them special; and: feel them, cherish them, and share them with others. That is my wish for you today, and always.
Okay, your turn:
What examples come to mind or heart when you remember a beautiful moment in time? Where were you? What made it beautiful? Did you take any pictures? In what other ways did you memorialize that moment?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences by leaving a Reply in the Comments section, below. Soul-to-soul!
