"I awoke to the confusion of a new day.
The scraps of dreams, memories of yesterday, and new
cravings creeping into awareness.
The sun spilling its light over all but the shadows and a
cacophony of sound
From outside and in
What to make order of? What to let go?
And who makes the choice?
I think I will go down to the river and just watch it flow,
It's been a long time since I have done something really
important."
~David Sluyter
I am sure I have probably shared this poem before in this space. I come upon
it every now and then in a book or a file where I have kept it for 'future
reference'. It is always a good reminder to me of how often I lose sight of
this deep wisdom.
Yesterday was a good example. Driving home from the office I was taking
stock of my day. While I had virtually moved nonstop, I was unclear if what I
had spent the moments of my day doing, was actually important. It is difficult
to know some days, isn't it? What are the details, the acts, the conversations,
the meetings, that really add up to become something truly important in the
grand scheme of things? It is the question we arise with each day, though we
rarely address it, as we try to make sense of our work, our relationships, our
life.
Making a life is a curious endeavor. The choices we make in our life's
construction are driven by many things-our circumstances, our worldview,
others' opinions of us, the need to please, our deep passions. What guides us
can be both beneficial and detrimental. How we choose what is important, if we
choose, makes all the difference.
The Holy One has given us not only one another as companions but also
the deep wisdom of Creation to be our guides. For instance, is the river ever
distracted from being its true self? Does a tree ever resist the urge of growth
toward the heavens? Do the dahlias blooming in our garden right now ever doubt
their beauty, their reason for being? Does the Sun ever decide
not to rise on the new day, the Moon choose to take a night off? We have much to learn from these gifts so
visible to us if we only open our eyes, our hearts.The pure
wisdom of these fellow travelers can be a guide to us.
What does your day hold? What is on your to-do list? What do you have to
accomplish today that is truly important? The wisdom of the universe is all
around us, guiding us to see with our whole lives.
Our only real work is to listen deeply, to open ourselves to this
gift, and to choose well. It could make all the difference in the world.