Everything changes

I love sitting out in my backyard. I do it all the time and I still feel like it’s never enough. We have nice Sturdy relaxing lawn chairs a fire pit and in my opinion the best view of the Florida sun in the entire state. I sit out to meditate on quiet cool mornings. I sit to listen to the sounds of world as its happening around me, sometimes loud but always vibrant and sometimes on an especially hot day I’ll bring a cold glass of wine with me (yes, I imbibe) and sit to soak up the sun. Real make time for no time moments (see: Make time for no time blog post). On this particular day the sangria was perfectly chilled as I sat with my feet up on the lawn table once again called about by the glare of the sun through our sliding glass windows. Looking up at the sky, mesmerized by the bright blues and whites as thick sun rays poked through the clouds I thought, another perfect day.

     The clouds floated by in that way that lets you know just where they’re about to go next and anybody who knows the Florida sun knows that it’s all fun until it isn’t anymore.  My glass of wine and I were deeply relaxed into the heated sun rays when the clouds moved just so to reveal the sun in its full glory. Beautiful but literally deadly. I repositioned my chair and checked out my new view of the sky noticing that on its current path the next batch of clouds would free me from the beating down sun and put me back safely in cool calm shade. All I had to do was wait it out a little. And I thought isn’t life just like that? the only difference is when things get too hot handle in life we can’t see the cool calm freeing shade that’s waiting in the distance but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming. That’s the great thing about nature if you pay close attention it will teach you all the rules of life. And seeing is believing. It’s hard to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel when there is nothing but darkness all around. Its easier to accept what you can see right in front of you than to trust what isn’t.  I’ve been there many times. I’ve stayed until the hurt felt good, until it was easier to give in or give up than it was to keep pressing on until I could see the clearing.

     We don’t only get attached to people, places or things. Oh no, that would be too easy. We can get attached to feelings too and a place doesn’t have to be a building or a room it could be a circumstance or the state of a relationship. We can get so attached that we lose ourselves in them completely no matter how much it burns becoming numb to the pain.  Not knowing that cool and calm is on the way we identify with these things as if that is all there is. As if change isn’t the most constant thing to rely on in life. Nature teaches us that as well. Things always change. The day turns to night. Summer turns to winter. We’re young and then we’re old and so the cycle continues. It’s the law of the Gunas and the rule of the seen (the qualities of nature according to ancient yogic text) just as sure as you can see it with your two eyes it will most certainly change. And even though we may not always be able to see salvation ahead, just know that it is there. It is coming. All you have to do is wait it out a little and for me having that knowledge alone is enough to keep me going until I reach the cool calm shade.