Peace, Love and a Glimpse of the Divine...

In a typical busy day it's very easy to forget to be grateful.  We scurry around trying to get everything done and in the end all we've done is scurry.

But you don't need a lot of time to savor beauty or to experience a brief moment of peace.  You can train yourself to need those small gifts, find them in odd places and then you'll see more and need more and it just comes washing into your life.  There's a flower tucked into a corner close to your office, you have to find it.

Or the curve of a child's cheek, the hands of the person sitting next to you on the bus, the smoothness of your lover's skin, small bits of beauty are there for us to enjoy.

I find the water. 

And I sit on a really big rock with my feet in the water and soak in peace and contentment.

And the love.

This dog with the short legs who bravely climbs over huge rocks to follow me, because I ask him to.  This dog who hates water but still follows me into the stream, because I ask him to, that's love.

I've been letting go of my anger which leaves a lot of room for peace and love and grace.  I'm giving up on forcing my reality on the world.  I'm finding that each time I make a conscious decision to love instead of control great things happen.  It'll take a lifetime but I'm game, the rewards are so worth it.  

Whether the sweep of angel wings or the skirts of the goddess, this incredible sunset reminds me of one of my favorite songs, "Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin.

I went up to the mountain
Because you asked me to
Up over the clouds
To where the sky was blue
I could see all around me
Everywhere
I could see all around me
Everywhere

It's beautiful, one more thing to be grateful for today.