This morning as I was taking Miss Sophie out for her morning constitutional, the sun was shining, and it was already well on its way to becoming a summer scorcher. In May. *sigh*
After she took care of her business and we were heading back, the heat made me rethink my whole “open window” policy I’ve had lately. Today was probably going to be an AC kind of day, I was thinking. That made me think about power bill, and I thought back as to whether I’d already paid it or not. That reminded me that I needed to see about replacing my debit card, because I am pretty sure it went through the washer and maybe the dryer because it’s a little warped, only it’s been a while since that happened, if it even did happen, so it wouldn’t work at the grocery store last night or the drugstore last week. One simply does not need a sporadic debit card.
And then I started thinking about all of the other things that I had on my to do list and that was when I saw them in front of me and all but heard Mother Nature holler, “Stop it! Hush up! I can’t even hear myself think! Why can’t you be quiet and listen for a moment?”
It stopped me in my tracks. And in the quiet, I heard only my own breathing and the whisper of one word.
“Red.”
That was it.
As I stood looking at the red roses, I thought about little ones and wonder how many run-on sentences play through their thoughts. Or would they simply cock their heads, look at the flowers, and think “red?” And then just quietly (or maybe not so quietly) be?
I don’t know. But sometimes I think we/I might think too much. Sometimes it might be more soul-filling to think less. To shut out all the lists and the worries and the obsessing over things said and done and that which has yet to happen…..and just see the world for a moment. In all its raw truth and beauty and brokenness. Take it all in without analyzing or trying to figure it all out. Just see.
The voice that had me seeing red today called me out. Called me out of my own head and thoughts and paths I travel so often that the trail is worn. It called me to travel down a quieter one, even for just a few minutes, and see beyond all the data running through my head like a ticker at the stock exchange.
Just see.
Red.
Pink.
Yellow.
All the colors. All the grass growing in the cracks in the sidewalk. The little worms trying to escape the heat of the day. The birds flitting about preparing their nests. The bees drawn to the delicate white blooms on the green tree by the house.
All of it.
As I finished my walk, I found myself breathing a little easier. My step was lighter. It was like turning off a switch–turning off what had been stifling me, like the heat in my closed up house before I turn on the air conditioning. Turning off all the chatter.
May we all be able to find a few minutes to do that everyday. Turn off the endless input and processing in our brains, hush up, and just see red. And all the fabulous palette of colors painted just especially for us.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 