I Saw the Light Even on a Gray Day

This story began during my morning walk, a hoped for antidote to gray skies that have moved in without giving notice of their estimated departure time. Movement usually wakes me, but it wasn't working today. I pushed myself to keep going.

Something shifted though as I rounded a curve and saw a lone evergreen by a lone and empty birdbath in an odd spot. I had never quite noticed these two in this way on prior walks. Today I acknowledged the little tree and my alarm sounded, "Wake up." An act that simple (and some will say crazy) woke me and I did not press snooze. In a split second, I was awake and remembered I was experiencing the gift of walking in the world. The light came on even in the gray and I smiled. My walk was medicine.

As the next two hours unfolded, the gray skies did not lift, but I continued in the words of the old hymn to 'see the light.'

I found light along the roadside as I picked up pine needles to be scattered on the ground near the blue bird house. The bluebirds have been checking out our accommodations again and yesterday I learned bluebirds build their nests out of grass and pine needles. Gathering pine needles made me smile.

I found light in meeting a stranger at a nearby spring as we both filled our containers with water. I had two. He had a truck bed half-full. He shared that he'd had water from this spring for fourteen years and now lives two hours away. He returns periodically to get water and check his nearby beehives. I asked if we might purchase some honey since I've heard local honey is best for preventing allergies. We talked about the importance of insects to pollination as I admitted I only grasped this last year as I watched bees buzz about my garden. Then he shared a recipe for combining apple cider vinegar, honey and spring water. which I came home and googled. Sure enough there it was at several websites. Click the shaded area above for one of those sites. What a beautiful, surprise exchange.

I found light while buying corn, actually two really big bags, for the four-legged and feathered beings in my little spot of the world. The willingness of two young guys who gladly loaded a hundred pounds of corn into my car made me smile.

I found light while learning at the local market how to set onion bulbs in the ground even if I don't eat that many onions. I marvel at a bulb or seeds capacity to join with earth, sun and rain to produce not only the vegetable I eat but the seeds within that vegetable that can be kept and planted to continue the cycle the coming year. The seed and the bulb hold the light.

And last but certainly not least, I found light when I removed the cover from my lettuce tent from months past to be greeting by one lone lettuce bundle, still growing as if to say, "It may be gray but I've got the light on in here."

I smile appreciating these simple interactions of give and take, of information and songs, of pine needles, home remedies, planting instructions, respectful give and take, showing me the light that is within and without especially on gray days.

Hmm, respectful give and take. This is how it's suppose to be. Respectful give and take -possibly the primary planting instruction for growing a more harmonious world and a key to seeing light within and without. -Dawn! The Good News Muse, -03.17.10