The Summer Day

I stayed at a hotel in Spokane last night and decided that I needed a low key day so I headed to the Riverside State Park that is practically in the city limits.  I set up my hammock and read a book while soaking up the sunshine.                                                     

I cooked my lunch and while eating  I engaged in a mindfulness meditation that heightened my awareness of all the beauty around me:  the sweet smell of the ponderosa pines, the dancing sparkle of the sun’s rays on the water, the swaying of the trees in the breeze, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the crunch of my sandwich grilled to perfection, the beat of a distant drum which was close but not close enough to see who was playing, the coolness of the water on my throat, the design of the fallen pine cones, rocks and pine needles, the buzz of a bee sharing my lunch.  I received the gift of a delicious and sacred lunch.  I am filled with gratitude.

I drove to Lake Chelan in Washington.  I knew I was  no longer in Glacier when I saw the rolling wheat fields. I camped in Chelan overlooking the foothills of the Cascade mountains that  embrace Lake Chelan.

Throughout the day I contemplated Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper, I mean-the one who has flinch herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and dow-

who is gazing around her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she fits her pale forearms and throughly washes her face.          

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is,

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,

how to kneel down into the grass,

how to be idle and blessed,

how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Rather than contemplating what I plan to do with my one wild and precious life, I found myself thinking about what I want to be in this wild and precious life.

These are my thoughts today, but such a list needs fluidity.

I want to be present in the moment

I want  to be curious

I want to be brave enough to take risks

I want to be radical in my loving

I want to be courageous in speaking my truth

I want to be faith filled and faithful

I want to be hospitable

I want to be mindful

I want to be a  trustworthy, supportive friend

I want to be loyal and loving family member