Dear Friends,
This May Glimmer comes just as the leaves are starting to show themselves in Connecticut. It was a long winter here, as you know, and Spring seems to be shy about arriving. Most of the people I talk to about the weather feel we deserve good weather because we have endured such a rough winter. It’s funny isn’t it? Why do we place entitlement on weather patterns?
I’ve been thinking about “rhythms” lately….the rhythms of weather, both daily and seasonally…or how about the rhythms of being busy or relaxed? Maybe this topic came up because I am in the process of creating my own daily rhythm, instead of responding to the demands of working for an employer. And I was thinking that many of the rhythms in people’s lives are imposed from the outside…a child needs you? you respond immediately. Refrigerator breaks? time to research brands and set up delivery. Friends ask for some time to visit or become too busy for a visit? you respond as it unfolds.
I was looking at one of our tall trees the other day, wondering when the leaves will arrive. As I considered the life of a tree, I realized 
the tree has a very slow rhythm. Unlike you and me, who dart around to complete, accomplish or do. The tree? It knows it’s job is to be. That’s all, just be. And it’s purpose in life, its “treeness,” is to be a tree. It’s calling is to wait, be, and slowly move through the yearly changes. The tree, by BEing, seemed to be teaching me about my own call to be.
Here’s my question for you. Is it possible to look at our lives and make choices that influence the patterns we follow every day? Can our rhythm be shaped from the inside, not just from outside influences? Can we respect our personal rhythms and make adjustments so we are living with greater connection to our true self and to the Divine? I’ve a friend who takes a “pause” after a meeting or encounter and checks in with herself. Instead of rushing to the next task, she is making a practice of listening inside, then trusting what she hears. She’s finding this new rhythm is keeping her more grounded and more “in the moment.”
We all hear God speak in different languages – a child’s laugh, a particular scripture, a brilliant sunrise or a moment of vulnerability. I would suspect, though, that regardless of the language chosen, our part in this conversation is our capacity to listen. To pause and to really listen. We will not hear Love through that little one’s laugh or a friend’s tears of gratitude unless we slow down. Our personal rhythm needs regular quiet time if we are to experience the fullness of life, the fullness of who we are.
Just as the tree is being “tree,” I am being called to be “me.”
with love, Lisa
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