CHAPTER TWO
A bell rang and interrupted the silence, removing me from my thoughts. I looked across the table and Miriam was not in her chair. Standing up, I could see a warm golden glow coming from one of the windows towards the front of the room by an old wooden door. I walked towards the door, lifted its large twisted metal handle and pulled it towards me. A sudden rush of warm fresh air enveloped my senses and I stepped outside to find Miriam standing by a large pond where dragonflies danced in the sunlight. I walked towards her waving and calling “Hello” Miriam turned, and with a warm smile she beckoned me to her side.
“Hello my dear, sleep well”? “Er… Yes thanks but I didn’t even realise I had gone to sleep” I replied, gently adding “I hope you did not take offence. I must have felt tired after talking to you about my understandings of life”. “None” was Miriam’s reply. She gently placed her arm within mine and we both turned to watch the beauty of the dragonflies dancing their dance. “You need to watch with all your being to truly see the beauty that is before you” said Miriam. I agreed with her and for a while longer we watched the dragonflies hover, dance and create ripples in the pond as they skimmed the water with their colourful bodies.
As before, Miriam reached for her velvet pouch of golden dust, and suddenly the air was filled with it. As it fell it caught the sunlight and became even more magical. I watched it fall and the following verse was written on the surface of the pond:
Wake up, Wake up, begin to see
The world and all its wonders given to you and me
There’s nothing to lose and all to gain
So let’s get started and don’t refrain.
As it disappeared from the surface, ripples emanated from the centre of the pond. Miriam turned to face me “Let’s walk together through this beautiful place. Tell me your thoughts on the miracles of life”. Before we left, Miriam turned to the pond held out her velvet pouch and the golden dust lifted from the pond and returned to the pouch. She tied the tassels at the top of the bag and replaced it on her belt. “Now, where were we”? She said, “Ah yes, the miracles of life. Shall we begin”?
I walked with Miriam in silence, and for a while struggled to begin a conversation on the miracles of life. Not that I did not see them in my ordinary days but they seemed insignificant in relation to what I had been experiencing since I had walked through the mirror and began my time with Miriam. As if sensing my difficulties, Miriam turned to me and said “Everything can be seen as a miracle if it is seen through open eyes”. At that point I looked into her eyes and knew that I had much to discuss and replied “I have learnt that hardly anyone stops for a moment in their busy lives and looks at what truly surrounds them in the world that they live”
There are so many miracles of creation on our planet and right on our doorstep. You do not have to travel to begin to develop a wonder and excitement within your heart: you just have to look and see the everyday beauty that surrounds you. Life moves fast in western society: we are motivated by the need to fill our days with endless tasks in and out of work: to collect possessions and make as much money as we can. It is these things that make us feel that we are successful and have achieved in our lives.
I sometimes get the impression that human beings feel that if they stop, look, listen and take in some peace, that they feel they might fall apart or feel unfulfilled. This saddens me because this type of hectic existence stops people appreciating all the wonders of our planet. We do not gaze anymore at the surprisingly simple aspects of our life, such as flowers, trees, birds, hills and mountains. But it is these things that can brighten your day and fill your heart with wonderment, bringing excitement back to your soul. These moments nourish your inner self, which can radiate out to others through your eyes and your smile. We do live in a wonderful world with so many opportunities, with so much life around us. What a waste, not to enjoy all that creation has given to us!
Of course, it would not be right not to acknowledge that in parts of the world there is suffering and the planet rages environmental wars many times, causing devastation and, sadly, the passing of human souls. At these times, if we can open our inner eyes and see with our soul, we may be able to see that there still exists beauty in devastation, such as the kindness and courage of others who give their time to help those in need. There is opportunity in chaos, such as the collective thoughts and support of individuals that have come together to rebuild, redevelop communities and build stronger relationships. Beauty at these times can not only be seen in some remaining standing tree, flower or the sun shining through on a sliver of calm water but in the human touch of compassion, support and love that can bring people together. This is an amazing planet and, if you look, you cannot help but see the beauty and wonderment in all things, as well as the sadness and sorrow, but in everything the human soul can and does shine.
I recalled when I first started to make a conscious effort to look at the things that surrounded me. I took time to look at the hedgerows, the flowers and the flight of birds, to name just a few. These were the things that surrounded me. But wherever you are, wonder will be close by: even in the middle of an urban area, in the architecture, the colours, the smells and the people. The more I took time to look, the clearer I saw things. Flowers proudly displaying their blooms, parading their vibrant colours: their movement in the wind becomes a dance of great delight, showing me that not only are they living things, just as I am, but that they are amazing creations which we all too often just take for granted. The next time you are near a flower, look closely at its construction and you can’t fail to be amazed at this miracle of life. The more I studied them and took notice of them, the brighter they became. I felt connected to them, part of their world, as they were part of mine. Wonder and excitement grew and I began making a point of stopping and enjoying nature’s offerings as many times as I could. I still continue to do this in my everyday life, and this enriches my soul, my inner life and makes me value and cherish each and every day I am alive. In the midst of a world struggling to make sense of itself, understanding that we are all part of creation; living at one with the sky, the Earth and all that is around us; that everything, human, animal and vegetation, has the same right to be here: helps in building a link to all creation that occupies our amazing planet.
If you can clear your mind of what ties you so rigidly to western society norms, then the real beauty of human life will begin to embrace you. This takes time, it does not just happen; it has taken me years not only to be able to do this but to believe that it could change my life. Has it? Yes: I do see more of the beauty that surrounds me now but believe that my eyes are still not fully open. I have yet more to learn and to appreciate, so I can reach my full potential and fulfil who I am meant to be. When I see a flock of birds swooping and flying in formation, such as small birds over the fields and hedgerows, I wonder at the miracle of flight. They fly with such precision, in time and place together with speed and grace; they swoop and rise in perfect timing. The wonder is not just their ability to fly but to fill the sky with an aerobatic display that is second to none. These sights bring me such joy that sometimes I will ‘cry out’ with sheer delight when I see them and as I do, a surge of immense happiness engulfs me. At first I felt quite strange, wanting to express myself like this; the expression through sound was quite alien to me. But now it is just natural and, each time it happens, I feel such a strong connection to the universe and a sense of being alive. It is as if we are linked on some higher level and their movement somehow lights up my inner life. I feel the movement with them and delight in the freedom they exhibit as they fly through the air. It is all about allowing and enabling a connection to begin.
I hope you can find delight in nature’s creations and, whatever way you embrace the joy you see, enjoy the wonder before you and your whole existence could begin to change! You could feel like you have never felt before; you could see what you have never seen before; you could be who you have never been before and it could lead you to
become who you never dreamed you could be.
The earth has a way of just being and providing for us, to a point where we take things for granted. The life cycles that exist in nature are truly amazing; all interlinked, each an element of an existence providing for another to ensure its continuation on this earth. However, it is well documented that species have declined, become extinct and there are those that are in trouble today. It would not be appropriate to talk about the wonders of the world without giving a balanced view. This time I sat forward and looked at Miriam. “I find this difficult” I said: she looked enquiring at me and asked why. “Well here I sit and discuss the beauty of the world knowing that within the world there also exists war, starvation, drought, poverty and many other humanitarian problems; as well as natural disasters that occur, time after time, destroying the lives of thousands.” “How can I ask people to find the courage to look beyond all this to see the beauty that I believe can be found in all lives?” “You are not asking them to do anything, just planting a seed of thought that they may choose to grow or not. It is their choice.” She continued “It is true, man has created endless difficulties for himself and change has to occur but it won’t, unless new ways are learnt. You are not dismissive of reality, nor uncompassionate for those less fortunate than others but by speaking as you do you offer to those who wish to take it a different path to walk.” Said Miriam. Her words of wisdom comforted me and I continued.
I do not advocate that, if we open our eyes and see things clearer, we will change all that goes on in this world in an instance: it will take time. The earth is a living entity, it is larger than any of us and at times reminds us of this. It is able to change the weather, the tides and the landscape and sometimes this can lead to sad losses within our human society. It is a reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things and how precious our lives are. This is one of the reasons why we need to wake up; we are part of creation, a miracle of existence, but we are also becoming part of its destruction. Why? Because we have forgotten the miracle of life: we have displaced the growth of our soul, the inner light that shines within us; our technological advances have far out-stripped the growth of our human souls, limiting our ability to enjoy our planet and all it has to offer. I believe that the reactions of our world, whether they come in the form of natural or man-made disasters are all messages from the planet to us, which we are not hearing anymore or, even worse, are hearing but ignoring. The Earth is tired and needs to be rejuvenated and that can only begin when we start to realign ourselves by understanding all that we are and all that we can become. What we do as a race will always affect the planet; if it is good, then there will be positive consequences; if bad, then the planet will respond at some point with a negative reaction. But I cannot sit here and say to you that a volcanic eruption is not an amazing event; that a tornado, as frightening as it is, is not amazing in the way all the elements come together to make such a phenomenon. I could go on but I just wanted to make the point that, although these events can cause devastation, there is no getting away from the fact that the planet on which we live is amazing. We are amazing too but, just as the planet can impact on our lives, we can also have an impact, individually and as a collective, in both positive and negative ways on the world in which we live. And just as the earth could eventually destroy the human race, we as a human race could eventually destroy the earth.
We need to wake up, to cherish the land that feeds us, and the atmosphere that enables us to breathe. I don’t think that this is possible until individuals begin to notice once again all that our earth offers us on a daily basis. This will take time, but it is my belief that we can change our destiny. Firstly, it will be as an individual looking within, finding that inner light, that soul. We all need to begin at the beginning by nurturing and seeing what is right in front of us, the most clever and intelligent eco system ever to be created, that which we call Earth. There needs to be a collective awakening to all the beauty and the simple pleasures that are all around us, but which seem to have been lost along the way. It is my belief that this approach could bring about a tidal wave of change that would have a positive effect on all of the planet and those that inhabit the earth.