This Magical Life
When we align with the desires of our hearts everything becomes more and more magical. The less attention we pay to all the distractions and negativity pouring out of our devices, which have become so much a part of us that really the lines become ever so blurry, the better.
What I love about a smart phone is that anything I need in is right at my fingertips, what I don't love so much is that we forget what it is that we really need -- to just be with ourselves and one another. We forget to be in our bodies and tend to the world around us.
My sweet husband helped me tackle a major clean out of our garage over the weekend and we unearthed a long forgotten old box of my childhood treasures. Truly it provided revelation after revelation. To handle these objects that I had so loved and cared for in my formative years had a powerful talismanic effect. Then to stumble upon notes, often quite offhand, from my brother and my best friend was nothing short of miraculous -- messages from beyond the great silence that is Death.
So a sacred Sunday of signs and wonders was followed by Monday Monday including one of my least favourite pastimes, grocery shopping. Yes, I'm grateful to be able to afford to feed my family however, as with so many things in the domestic arena it often feels like a thankless and endless chore.
During this week's shop which sported longer than usual queues at the tills, I decided to just be present rather than retreat into checking messages or scrolling down the rabbit hole. And oh what a revelation.
Each person there with me between the fourth and third ring of Dante's purgatorial inferno was a beautiful mystery filled with light and love. A lady complemented a woman's tired toddler on stoically sitting in the trolley. Another counted out her pennies. The checkout lady was warm. Each item in my basket struck me as unusually beautiful. The textures, smells and colours were absolutely breathtaking.
This is the gift of Presence.
When we are disciplined enough not to take the easy way out, the world opens up its wonders which are ALWAYS there, but often go unnoticed.
And here's the thing, the more we pay attention, the more awe inspired we become.
Our area has been in the throes of endless roadworks for a good long while. The traffic snarls can be catastrophic especially as you sit for the umpteenth time trying to get a child to or from one of their many commitments.
How about surrendering to what is and feasting your eyes on the ever so gentle caress of the excavator's metallic hand, effortlessly moving boulders. Such a tenderness in its slight shuddering. The light falling on the mountain revealing a hitherto unseen gulley. The harried mom mirroring you in a neighbouring car. The unfaltering grin of the Big Issue seller come rain or shine.
As we allow our waking moments to illuminate our souls so too do our dreams come alive with treasures. Imagery that wakes us in the night and whispers: "Remember me."
I had the great delight of joining Máire Fisher's Writers Circle yesterday which I have been hoping to do for some time but haven't had the time. Now that NaNoWriMo has rolled around again, I've taken it as an invitation to get stuck into my sorely neglected WIP which I started at the beginning of 2019, a year that's soon to breathe its last...and that's it for the teens in my lifetime (sigh of relief)! I immediately felt that I was with my people and have two signed copies of her wonderful books to boot -- "Birdseye" and "The Enumerations." What's more I had every booknerd fangirl's fantasy realised watching her put pen to paper on the last of her current novel.
It's lovely to see that we are all doing our bit, whether it be banging on our keyboards, cajoling a tired toddler, raking gravel in the roadworks with a Black South Easter making things interesting, we're all part of an intricate web of frustration and breathtaking beauty.
Today we had our farewell for our Masifunde children and presented each with a certificate and stationary. Oh, to see those shining faces was such a treat. Dear Jane works tirelessly and is always in need of volunteers, so shout if you're keen to try your hand at volunteering. It really is food for the soul and a great way to feel more connected.
I had a lovely long chat with Lulama who teaches at Ukhanyo and who has been teaching my children isiXhosa and discovered even more connections in our story. Soul circles are for real and they fill me with such a sense of security in our being here now.
Take a moment to give thanks for where you are. Right here. Right now.
Take a moment to notice.
Everything is magic.
See for yourself.
PS. Not half an hour after watching another fab local writer Tracey Farren's son Tao Farren-Hefer 's charming film I heard from a favourite rollerblading student for the first time in a year.
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What I love about a smart phone is that anything I need in is right at my fingertips, what I don't love so much is that we forget what it is that we really need -- to just be with ourselves and one another. We forget to be in our bodies and tend to the world around us.
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| https://www.ericpickersgill.com/removed |
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| Message received - thank you 16 year old Jason |
During this week's shop which sported longer than usual queues at the tills, I decided to just be present rather than retreat into checking messages or scrolling down the rabbit hole. And oh what a revelation.
Each person there with me between the fourth and third ring of Dante's purgatorial inferno was a beautiful mystery filled with light and love. A lady complemented a woman's tired toddler on stoically sitting in the trolley. Another counted out her pennies. The checkout lady was warm. Each item in my basket struck me as unusually beautiful. The textures, smells and colours were absolutely breathtaking.
This is the gift of Presence.
When we are disciplined enough not to take the easy way out, the world opens up its wonders which are ALWAYS there, but often go unnoticed.
And here's the thing, the more we pay attention, the more awe inspired we become.
Our area has been in the throes of endless roadworks for a good long while. The traffic snarls can be catastrophic especially as you sit for the umpteenth time trying to get a child to or from one of their many commitments.
How about surrendering to what is and feasting your eyes on the ever so gentle caress of the excavator's metallic hand, effortlessly moving boulders. Such a tenderness in its slight shuddering. The light falling on the mountain revealing a hitherto unseen gulley. The harried mom mirroring you in a neighbouring car. The unfaltering grin of the Big Issue seller come rain or shine.
As we allow our waking moments to illuminate our souls so too do our dreams come alive with treasures. Imagery that wakes us in the night and whispers: "Remember me."
I had the great delight of joining Máire Fisher's Writers Circle yesterday which I have been hoping to do for some time but haven't had the time. Now that NaNoWriMo has rolled around again, I've taken it as an invitation to get stuck into my sorely neglected WIP which I started at the beginning of 2019, a year that's soon to breathe its last...and that's it for the teens in my lifetime (sigh of relief)! I immediately felt that I was with my people and have two signed copies of her wonderful books to boot -- "Birdseye" and "The Enumerations." What's more I had every booknerd fangirl's fantasy realised watching her put pen to paper on the last of her current novel.
It's lovely to see that we are all doing our bit, whether it be banging on our keyboards, cajoling a tired toddler, raking gravel in the roadworks with a Black South Easter making things interesting, we're all part of an intricate web of frustration and breathtaking beauty.
Today we had our farewell for our Masifunde children and presented each with a certificate and stationary. Oh, to see those shining faces was such a treat. Dear Jane works tirelessly and is always in need of volunteers, so shout if you're keen to try your hand at volunteering. It really is food for the soul and a great way to feel more connected.
I had a lovely long chat with Lulama who teaches at Ukhanyo and who has been teaching my children isiXhosa and discovered even more connections in our story. Soul circles are for real and they fill me with such a sense of security in our being here now.
Take a moment to give thanks for where you are. Right here. Right now.
Take a moment to notice.
Everything is magic.
See for yourself.
PS. Not half an hour after watching another fab local writer Tracey Farren's son Tao Farren-Hefer 's charming film I heard from a favourite rollerblading student for the first time in a year.
Subscribe to Foot Sore & Fancy Free by Email
And please verify your email address (check your junkmail!)
Thanks :)
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