Yesterday, Sunday afternoon.
No rush hour traffic. No meetings. No conference calls. No deadlines to hit. No work tomorrow.
No lower back pain. No shoulder pain. No bite from cervical spondylosis. Body at peace.
I exit down the ramp onto I-95 South and head home from running an errand.
I’m driving directly into the sunset. It is of such indescribable beauty that it triggers Mind to think of God. And then, No God. And then, Heaven. And then, no Heaven. And then, my late Brother. At which point, I kill the heat and lower the window to let the late winter chill fill the cabin. Need to feel alive.
Lori introduced me to “e·phem·er·al” (adj.) /əˈfem(ə)rəl/. Lasting for a very short time. Fleeting. Passing. Short-lived.
And to “e·the·re·al” (adj) /əˈTHirēəl/. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. Beautiful. Graceful. Delicate.
And I reflect on how few of these moments, I have. Not chasing. Not rushing. Not anxious. Not obsessed by Next.
And Lori again, this time with “epiph·a·ny” (n) /i-ˈpi-fə-nē/. An illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.
Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have understood what Kerouac meant. It wouldn’t have registered. But here it is, slowly seeping in.
“Bless and sit down…and you will realize you’re already in heaven now. That’s the story. That’s the message.”
Notes:
- Photo: I-95 S. near Exit 10. Feb 16, 2020. My shot.
- Post Inspiration: “I used to think it was great to disregard happiness, to press on to a high goal…But now I see that there is nothing so great as to be capable of happiness; to pluck it out of “each moment and whatever happens.” ~ Anne Gilchrist, The Letters of Anne Gilchrist and Walt Whitman (Source: Brainpickings)
- Post Inspiration: “To love beauty is to see light.” — Victor Hugo
- Kerouac quote: Thank you Whiskey River.
Live & Learn 
Tears here – You start seeing the light!
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Thank you Kiki. Yes. Like Leonard Cohen’s Anthem. “There is a crack in everything…That’s how the light gets in”
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There is never a wrong moment to listen to Leonard Cohen – you nailed it!
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Wow, a compliment from Kiki! I should quit now!
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Sure, quit while you’re ahead 😉
You DO know that in our culture, we say: We only tease those we like – with those we dislike, we’re very polite (and cold)?!
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I so relate to that cultural comment!
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Ha ha
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And if you look more often, you will find that such moments occur with greater frequency. Driving with Grace…
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That is true Mimi. And I’m beginning to find, see and feel these moments now with more frequency.
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Now that makes me smile…
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I’m totally with Mimi – same thoughts here too. We are truly a blessed and united community, we girls (and Ray)…..
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Me too!
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❤
Thank you for this ride. Read it more than once and still smiling…
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Thank you Sawsan.
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Progress, better late than never. We become what we think about. Rat race—-bad. Kerouac——good.
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Truth!
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I smiled to see your tags and then I saw “Kerouac.” He was Catholic but I really thought he as well as his crew was a nihilist. Maybe not! Either way, I’m glad for your moments of heaven/oneness. May they only increase.
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Thank you Carol. I wasn’t Catholic but God / Religion make me feel this way:
I don’t believe in religion, but the aesthetics of Catholicism have stuck with me. I love the way church incense coats my hair and skin. It is a safe smell, like a blanket… I envy the faithful. There are shrines dotted around the hillsides here in Ireland, places where saints have supposedly appeared and healed the sick. There are wells of holy water and statues in the rocks, huts filled with prayer cards and gardens filled with painted stones in memory of loved ones who have passed away. I like to visit them occasionally. I sit in the stillness and observe people crying and praying and I close my eyes and try to let some of their hope get carried on the air and through my pores. I would like to believe that everything is accounted for, that there is life after this one, and that all of our decisions hold some kind of significance or moral worth. There is weight in religion. It is an anchor of sorts.
~ Jessica Andrews, Saltwater: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, January 14, 2020)
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Ahhh, DK, this post made me smile, and like Sawsan, I read it twice. To think that you are allowing yourself the time and space to enjoy these ethereal, ephemeral moments delights me to no end. I rejoice in your epiphany…
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OMG. I forgot “Epiphany” and had to add it in the post, and did. Years you have followed along and given so much to me. Thank you Lori.
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Awwww, thanks pal. You’ve give a great deal to me as well.
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David, as my mother slips through this liminal space between life and death, your reminder to breathe and soak in the beauty of life’s ephemeral and ethereal graces reminds me to be fiercely present in this moment.
Thank you.
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Oh, Louise I am sorry that your dear mother is ailing…sending you a virtual hug…my aunt passed Saturday evening…and my father in law had to be transferred from one emergency center. rushed to another today, more equipped to handle his case, emergency center 100 miles away from his town…the outcome unknown at this time..what we can do is pray and wait to see if his surgery is successful…You and I can gain strength from God and the Joy our loved one’s have blessed us with, which are such gifts…Saying a prayer for you and your family…Peace to you…
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Thank you Christie. I appreciate your heartfelt words — and am sorry to hear of your aunt’s passing and your father in law’s challenges. My eldest daughter flew in from Vancouver last night as did my sister from Nanaimo – we are three sisters and my two daughters strong at her bedside. She is 97 – which is a remarkable age – and while she slips in and out of awareness, she is surrounded by the circle of love she created. many blessings to you
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So sorry to hear about your Mother Louise. Glad that I was add a wee little bit of grace to this difficult time.
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Thank you David. It is a difficult yet beautiful and joyful time. My mother is 97. As she whispered last night, I have had a good life. In my mother’s life, her faith in god has never let her down — though she’s a little annoyed right now that he isn’t quite ready for her as she is now very ready to go. The doctors tell us it is only a matter of time — so I am grateful we can surround her with love and grace as she crosses over. Many hugs.
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Such a wonderful moment you shared Louise. Thank you.
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And one more, in this line of Feeling and Thinking: “ineffable”.
As a big fan of Kerouac in my Youth, and a Lover of Road Trips, this Post reaches me.
Wayfarer doug
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Hi Doug. Ooooh. “Ineffable.” Had to look it up. “too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words”. That’s it!
I had a late jump into Kerouac and moved by his work later in life.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts and kind words.
Dave
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I miss driving at times
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It is important to recognize & think of God, Heaven and remember your dear brother….”And I reflect on how few of these moments, I have. Not chasing. Not rushing. Not anxious. Not obsessed by Next.” You can change the Normal Pace to”Not” chasing, rushing, anxious, obsessed by Next.
Let the Peace Flow…through Each Gift of Breath…
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Beautiful, DK, beautiful. Puts me in mind of something that came in my email today – https://gratefulness.org/resource/normal-day-5/?utm_source=A+Network+for+Grateful+Living&utm_campaign=ce7198bfef-Wonder+Practice+2020+Day+5&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c606570b82-ce7198bfef-113902669&mc_cid=ce7198bfef&mc_eid=251b0e8cdf
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Thank you Roseanne. “Reflect on the chance to appreciate your body, the weather, the details of your environment, the miracle of being alive…” Loved this esp….
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Thank you David 💛 Keep slowing down to see the amazing moments that are always happening. This the gateway.
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So true Val. Thank you.
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No words, David – just a deep sense of coming home!
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That’s it Carolyn. That’s it. ________________________________
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I’m glad I opened my Reader today. I never do that. I think I’ve missed your musings, a little embarrassed that I’ve been away for so long again. I still don’t understand the avoidance, but I’m making up a story that I’m finally acclimating to my new environs and allowing more Good Things back in. I deserve Good Things. You’re a Good Thing.
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OMG, I so missed you here. Thank you for stopping by Sandy. So glad that you are doing well.
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I’m glad to hear that you had these moments of light. hope you are spending more time there in the future. ephemeral is one of my favorite words.
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Yes me too Beth. Thank you.
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I also read this more than once… It is always such a nice surprised when we realise we are suddenly aware of the beauty around us and stop, so to speak, to let it soak in. Lovely.
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Thank you Dale and agree
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beautiful post, and finding just the right words to express your feelings. curious – did you take this picture while driving – in the fast lane? 🙂
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I was waiting for someone to catch that. NO COMMENT JIM! 😋
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all your beautiful prose, and I’m looking at the photo. Talk about not seeing the forest through the trees… 🙂
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smiling. Thank you Jim.
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