An Ordinary Stroll in Extraordinary Life

White Camealia Heart ©Lynne Buchanan

The possibility exists to discover extraordinary/ordinary miracles in life every moment we are alive, if we just open our eyes or open to our breath.  My friend Bruce Black, a wonderful writer, posted a beautiful blog the other day about yoga and breathing and the gift of time that has stayed with me all week.  Bruce writes that no moment is ever truly ordinary.  I would agree with him and neither is anything in this world.  You and I are not ordinary either, as we possess the gift of awareness that allows us to recognize and celebrate the magic of life moment to moment if we only remove the cobwebs that are obscuring our vision and understanding and really see with our whole beings.

The other morning on a walk around Micanopy with my dog, I saw this beautiful camellia on a tree by a fence post at the edge of someone's yard.  It was fully open, revealing its golden heart, which was protected only by its soft white petals.  The innocence of life, its vulnerability and incredible beauty as manifested in this small flower was instantly seared in my own heart.  All I had with me was my iPhone,  but thankfully they have such good cameras now and I was able to get very close without trespassing–something that I am always very cognizant of even when walking in preserves or natural areas.  We share this world with many life forms, who exist in habits that we can easily disturb.

I am grateful for the miracles of modern technology, like my iPhone, as long as they are used towards a good end and not to destroy or mutate the natural world.  It is hard if not impossible to live without a foot in both worlds and I accept that, though it is important to be cognizant of the resources technology uses and the effects it has on the ecosystem and reduce waste whenever possible.  The advances we have made with respect to computers, the speed of data transfer, being able to see what is happening across the world in real time, these are all amazing accomplishments.  Still, my morning walks, my forays into nature to meditate and make photographs, each time I look out the window and notice the clouds and trees and flowers that graciously share this planet with us, these are the moments that truly connect me with life.  When I experience these connections directly with all my senses, I am grateful for each breath I take and all that is alive around me.  And how lucky are we that when we choose to notice, we get to see such lovely miracles on "ordinary" strolls in our extraordinary lives.