The Space for Possibilities

This year, I’ve experienced more than my share of death, with three people dear to me having passed on to their next journey. It’s a reality of life, yet I often get too caught up in the minutia of things to take stock of what is real and lasting and what is a mere bump on a side road I will never see again.
Thanks to Cynthia at Running with Letters for this quotable quote in her post, taken from a column she wrote about the holidays in 2004:

“Being still means keeping space open for possibilities.

It means leaving room for moments of wonder.

It means not running the risk of being “too full” to assist in a miracle.”

I’m taking the time over the rest of this week and next to make a plan for possibilities. For my space has become a cluttered collection of time spent on too many projects to make a real difference in any of them. My plan must include space to be less rushed but more deliberate, less worried but more thoughtful in entertaining the endless goings-on in my mind, less influenced but more able to listen with both ears.

This photo was taken on an 11 mile hike through the Myakka Forest a few years back. Talk about possibilities.  On a long road ahead shared with no building of any kind, we walked through several habitats, encountered a shed Indigo snake skin and tracks of all kinds, met no one on the trail and could enjoy silence except for the birdy chatter around us.

Christmas is a time for reflection, gratitude and love, right? We yearn for that one day when nothing is expected of us but togetherness. But it wasn’t meant to be singular in its celebration. If I know the meaning, I hope to make it an every day sort of thing. I’ve particularly enjoyed Julia’s Thank You Project, finding something short and sweet to be thankful for in every day. Short and sweet but meaningful. It's often the shortest proclamations and reflections that have the most meaning, as any great writer (not me!) could tell you. What a lovely inspiration.

Wishes for a Merry Christmas to you and everyone in your life. Thanks for reading.