Magic Moments

“The magic moment is the moment when
a “yes” or a “no” can change our whole existence.
Every day, we try to pretend that we do not see
that moment, that it does not exist,
that today is the same as yesterday
and that tomorrow will be the same too.
However, anyone who pays close attention to
his day will discover the magic moment.”
 
Paulo Coelho, from By the River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept
 
It was just before dawn on a dark, November morning. So dark I had to turn on a light in the living room despite the fact that there were  large windows and skylights.

I heard the grandfather clock ticking the heartbeat of my home and plopping sounds, remnants of the night’s heavy rain as it dripped heavily off the eaves of the house. Trees, stoic and still, stood outside the windows, bare branches hung with droplets of water, bark wet-lined in shades of grey, deep brown and black. Solitary russet leaves hung listless and damp, lone survivors among the branches.

It is cozy to sit here, I thought, warm in my house on this dark and rainy morning. Gentle, grey light crept in the windows as my white-mittened grey cat stretched out warmly beside me on the couch.

Through the windows the grey gradually lightened until a startling burst of sunlight lined every wet trunk and branch with bright silver and turned each trembling droplet of rain into a sparkling diamond.

I could see a prism of colors in a single diamond drop, red, then orange, yellow and green. Even the air turned a delicate white as the sun reflected off the countless tiny droplets of water suspended in the mist.

I heard the, nasal, wheezing call of a nuthatch, a solitary voice,  plaintive, as if asking, “Is the rain over yet?”

The birdfeeder outside the window that had hung silent and empty moments before, was suddenly filled with fluttering, chattering, black-capped chickadees, sweet voiced, chipping, grey titmice, and white breasted nuthatches, all vying for the seeds filling the feeder.

A female cardinal, stunning in her feathered gown of red-tipped olive green and bright orange beak, cleared the feeder as she came in for her meal. The smaller birds respecting her right of place as royalty.

Like a princess, she delicately ate her fill, one seed at a time, regally turning this way and that with a flick of her tail. Then with a flutter of wings she vacated the feeder for the lilac tree nearby.

The feeder once again stood empty, the air quiet and clear now. The ground silently soaking up the gift of moisture. High above the treetops, clouds drifted apart, revealing a pale, blue sky.

​I became aware once again of the grandfather clock steadily beating its ticking heart.

It’s magic, I thought, it’s right here, all around me! It’s inside me, I feel so alive! Breathing deeply into the warm, expansive sensation inside, my heart filled with happiness. 

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

Your Spiritual Toolbox

Open yourself to the magic that is waiting for you today.

Watch carefully, listen, and breathe. It is there hidden within the quiet, waiting for you to slow down and savor its sweetness.

Let go of your to-do list just for a few moments, breathe deeply and stretch your perceptions out all around you.

Listen for the plane flying overhead, the birds singing outside, cars passing by on your street.

Feel the warmth of the chair beneath you.

Smell the steaming cup of coffee that might be waiting on the table beside you, and the cool, morning air drifting through an open window.

See the play of sun and shadows before you, the patterns of moving light and color.

Appreciate what is all around you. How blessed you are!

Now close your eyes and just breathe and feel for a few moments. Savor the sweetness of this magic moment.