Sitting outside by the pool this evening, one wouldn’t know so much transformation is happening in the world. It’s easy to sit here and feel the tender breeze rustling the leaves far above my head; I am content to be alone with my thoughts. One is never as alone as it seems, of course. The little chipmunk scurrying back and forth between the bird feeders and his home makes his path under my lounge chair, his cheeks puffed with seeds. And, of course, Spirit is always with us.
In the background, I can hear the crickets tuning into their summer orchestra. I don’t hear any birds but see them flying ever so high in a blue and pink sky gifted by the setting sun. I’m one of those people who enjoy listening to the birds and wondering about their chirping. Except when some are looking for mates at 2 a.m. in the cherry tree outside my bedroom window. Seriously, in the middle of the night.
Where do they think this is? New York City? Still, I have to admire their hopefulness and tenacity. These twilight hours are precious. Watching the birds fly up so high, I can no longer see them. Does it matter what kind of birds they are or why they persist in their songs? Not really. A bird is a bird until it gets close enough for us to label it, and then I think we’re apt to lose our wonderment. Oops! I spoke too soon. Behind me, I can hear a cardinal way off across the pasture.
It’s chilly for a late July evening in Maine. The temperature is down into the 60s, and dare I say it, I noticed the scent of autumn entering the backyard earlier. I love fall, but this is too soon for such nonsense. Still, the temperature drop is a nice respite from the high heat and humidity this summer. The air is damp at this hour, and I now notice no leaf stirring anywhere around me. The chipmunk has stopped running back and forth beneath my chair. I lean back in my chair and drink in the dewy silence.
As America works its way through the frenzy of a presidential election, I caution those I encounter who are scared of the outcome and worry about what will follow. That worry and fear solves nothing. Fear exists only to feed upon itself. Worry offers no solutions. Instead, take the time to be still. Sometimes it’s hard to know the right thing when we get too far out of our hearts and too much into our heads.
The right thing, the best thing that we can always do, is to be kind and compassionate. Stick to the truth. Approach everything from a state of love. Find peace in the smaller things like tender evening breezes, birds chirping, and chipmunks scurrying. The quiet light of God is everywhere and in everything, reminding us that our behavior and the actions we take serve as a blueprint for others.