11 Mar , 2023

Today is the weekend

and I’m not sure if the recesses of my mind

just simply relax knowing that

or

I’m getting better at letting go

quickly

The skeptic in me says

“Watch this space”

It’s been a gorgeous Saturday

Although it’s hot

The weather just lends itself to long walks in cool breezes

and lots of lounging around

So

I have

I started to notice last night

We were out

Celebrating

The ease with which I have an opinion

Or register deep seated beliefs

about what unfolds around me

Maybe,  it was the easy access to conversational jousting

Maybe I was simply being a great case study

and remaining vigilant in my self observation….

No matter

The take away is the same

I’m just never short of an immediate response

Or sometimes reaction

And when I put a pin in that

and pumped my brakes

I heard more

I not only listened

I absorbed

I felt like I was

removed from what was around me

The people

The conversations

The music

The laughter

And at the same time more deeply invested

My body felt bigger than it actually was

Like I existed outside of it

Too much?

Too esoteric

Or New Age….

Too bad

Sorry

Not sorry

It’s the only way to explain it for now

and NO

I wasn’t drinking

I was the driver

Today, it’s stuck with me that I need to be deliberate

in my interactions with what’s happening around me

and what I’m directly responsible for

I pause before I respond to things

I don’t have to be immediate

I don’t have to think too deeply

About what happens next

I’m remaining open

Cause I can

The other thing of note today

Is what I saw this morning on our walk

We rounded the block

And a small corner park came into view

The direct middle of the entry is punctuated by an old school bubbler

or water fountain for drinking

Right in the middle of the path

Standing at it was an elderly lady

She had one hand holding the water on

And with the other

Was scooping handfuls of water

and wetting her face

Not so notable on a warm day

Right

Wrong

All I could see, once I noticed

Was that her eyes were closed

and she was so intensely absorbed in this simple act

Her face showed absolute joy

And such utter happiness

I couldn’t look away

It was so unbearably innocent

There was no mistaking how she felt

There was only ONE way to interpret it

Couldn’t have been more obvious

It made me smile immediately

I felt so light

And so happy for her

She opened her eyes 30 seconds later

And I was still watching her

Like a grinning idiot

She immediately smiled back

and gestured to me to come and wet my face

She spoke

I couldn’t understand what she said

It was Italian I think

But she’d made herself clear

without the words

A car beeped at the crossing behind me

And the spell was broken

Without words

It had made itself clear too

I waved and blew her a kiss

She responded in kind

And we kept walking

This lady made my day

Her intense lightness of BEING

Still sits with me

I love that I not only saw her

But

SAW her

As I write this

I just realised

Maybe we’re similar

Maybe we share more than that moment this morning

Maybe we’re both drawn to running water!

Maybe

Maybe

Maybe

How did I not think that before…..

I’ve always adored the synchronicities of life

Maybe that’s something I’ll keep……

Much love

Kate x (& Hope)