This time of year has me head over heels in love with life. The leaves are turning a bright red and orange, ultimately surrendering to the ground with grace. The grapes are plump and purple, bursting with flavor, wanting to be touched and plucked off the vine. The day starts to cloud over, the rain starts to fall softly. With humility, the word that comes to me is awe.
The definition of awe is: a mixed feeling of reverence, fear and wonder. For me, to stand in awe before the heavens is to embrace life with a presence, a stilled concentration that is grounded in an appreciation for what we have, who we are, and what we offer this world.
Every morning when I wake up, I feel I have been given a second chance at life. Another chance to soak in the moments, if by chance I had missed anything the day before. Second chances, they are abundant, full of forgiveness and newness whether we are 1 or 90 years of age. We begin again. We are forever young. We go full circle.
No matter the season, winter, spring, summer or fall, I ask in meditation, what does it mean for us to fall in love with life regardless of the challenges?
What is it that makes us feel a sense of awe at the dawning of a new day, or peace at the falling of night. What gives us that sense of wonder? Is it a glimpse at the ocean, a walk down a narrow path filled with maples and old stone, is it a kiss of bliss that comes with a hug, an embrace, a prayer, a delicious breeze?
I know falling in love with life looks different for each and every one of us, but when we tap into this awe-inspiring, simple truth every day, it sure feels right and eternal.
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