“Somewhere out in the back of your mind (somewhere)
Comes your real life and the life that you know
It seems like it was the creation of some of those same old things
It seemed to be the only thing left out in the light…”. Rooms on Fire – Stevie Nicks
Late this afternoon I had one of those “stopped me in my tracks” moments. Involved in the sameness of one’s life and then you turn the corner and then…wham! There it is. And you smile and say, “wow.” It isn’t an exuberant exclamation but rather, it slips from your mouth in spite of itself. And you’re in awe.
I like to think most of us have these moments. I’m thankful to have them. The best part is you don’t know when they will present themselves. Whether it’s spying a rainbow, watching a hawk in flight, watching the waves lapping at the shore, pulling a loaf of bread from the oven…and on and on.
These moments keep me humble. I’m reminded that I’m not the one truly dictating my life. And I’m reminded that any little thing may happen at any time. As the great Scottish poet Robert Burns once said, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” One of my grandmother’s maxims was, “man proposes and God disposes.” It’s the idea that you may plan and plan and plan but there is no guarantee the plans will work out.
The astronauts on the Challenger weren’t thinking this as their families watch them launched into space on that chilly morning. People were not thinking their lives would be changed forever when they went to work on September 11, 2001. Students went to school at Marjory Stoneman High one morning as they did each day. It was not a typical day at all.
However, many of us are lucky enough to experience far more of the awe-inspiring moments than the horrific events I just mentioned. Don’t forget to be thankful the next time it happens to you. I wasn’t expecting to be treated to an epic sunset today when I turned the corner in my car. It gave me chills, made me smile, and I whispered ‘wow’ all at the same time.
N.B. My photo does not do this justice at all.
Stories Are For Eternity 