Nature Draws Forth Our Inner Joy

After a tough week filled to the brim with work, it was nice to unwind at NARA Park here in Acton. As I hiked the perimeter of the pond, the low water level exposed large boulders that presented me with a whole new landscape. And as the cloud of work fell behind me, I felt lighter and began to bounce in step with Amy Winehouse's groovy contralto blaring in my earbuds.

When we surrender to nature and allow it to guide us, we can tap into an inner joy that exposes who we truly are, allowing us to project the perfect image of ourselves.

The Sky Sees Us

Today as I stepped out into the early-December chill,

I wrapped my coat tight around me,

but when I looked up, I was quickly warmed

by the glowing clouds overhead, 

illuminated in soft hues of twilight,  

like a relative or a friend arriving at the gate,

lighting up at the sight of you.  

All I could do was smile,

sealing my soul’s connection to the sky.

We Round Out One Another

This weekend my Thanksgiving festivities came to a peaceful close with a hike through the Bartlett Arboretum in my hometown of Stamford, CT. As I walked, I homed in to experience the woods from new perspectives.

 
Through the needles of a fir tree, I could appreciate the fall continuing to make way for the winter.

Beyond the lingering leaf of a Maple tree, I could perceive water running through the brook and imagine it flowing through all of life.

And past a heap of Autumn debris, I could envision my life's path, open and inviting, blessed by those up close and personal in my life, who round me out with their unique love and who help me appreciate life anew.

Our Essence Remains

Today was a sad day as I bade farewell to a former student who transitioned out of this world too soon. Leaving her service, I sought out color and found it at our local farm. It was comforting to see remnants of this autumn so vividly on display. 

The wreaths hanging outside served as a warm welcome to this season of bonding and gratitude...

...while arrangements like this one eased me into the spirit of the upcoming winter holidays. I close my eyes and feel the essence of this season emblazoned in my own, and I evoke with a smile all the beauty of those who are no longer with us but who continue to inspire us with their eternal essence.

Reflections Ground Us

Today I hiked Pratt's Brook Conservation Land here in Acton and came across this lone cairn. Whenever I see cairns I feel reassured that I'm going the right way and that things are as they should be. 

But things are not always as they should be. At the Ice House Pond, I look at the reflection of things to try and gain new perspective and understanding.

The trees are mostly bare now. Their branches tremble in the wind and their leaves are crumpled at their feet, but despite their nakedness and vulnerability, they continue to feed from the Earth and stand tall and bless us with life-giving oxygen.

Sometimes our lives are distorted and we feel helpless, turned upside down. Sitting with the distortion, I reflect on life. I sit with a straight spine, my body weight resting on my sitz bones, rooting me to the ground. I inhale deeply and then slowly release a breath of loving-kindness, in a long embrace to all beings in the world who grieve and who suffer from great loss.

The Harvest Fulfills Us

In the naked light of the mid-day autumn sun, 

the harvester gently rakes the leaves and the last of the fallen apples, 

pausing every now and again to let small swarms of flies have their turn, 

and looking up he sees the lone fruit, hanging on so as not to be forgotten, 

and he plucks it from the branch and gives it a hard and satisfactory bite 

that echoes in the universal harvest of bounty and gratitude. 

We Blend with the Earth

Today I took a drive to the nearby Nagog Hill Orchard, where I was delighted to witness the autumn palette of colors still burning on the trees.

There was a brilliant blending of warm earth tones...

...accenting and balancing every aspect of the landscape...

...and springing up in vivid bouquets of trees that were reflected in the water.

When we see and feel the beauty all around us, we too become part of the landscape and thus blend with the Earth.

The Fall Brings Out the Best in Us

As the fall foliage season begins to wane in New England, I take in the vestiges of its mystique, feeling grateful to be able to enjoy it. This weekend, I was even more fortunate to come to a family wedding up in the Catskills, where the foliage season is in full bloom.

Heading toward New Paltz, my family and I pulled the car over and I jumped out with my phone camera to try to capture some of the beauty surrounding us.

We made it to New Paltz as the morning mist began to rise and dissipate - a stage curtain slowly unveiling a fall foliage spectacular.

When we give it our full attention, the fall brings out the best in us and fill us with the wonder and euphoria of being in love.

Red in Nature Calls to Us

 

Today I hiked a bit of the Nashua River Trail in Groton and Pepperell, and my eyes were drawn to the blazing red leaves.

The red color on the trees, I learned, is a special pigment call "anthocyanin" that trees in North America started producing millions of years ago to protect themselves from cold snaps, extreme sunlight and insect predators.

Whenever I spotted red it kept me there transfixed and awestruck, giving me its best performance ever and standing out among all the other colors of fall.

Whether up close or off in the distance, red came to the foreground and could not be ignored.

Whenever we are fearless and authentic, we too can be like the color red in nature - resilient and inspiring. 

Life Presents Us with Peaceful Perspectives

Today I visited Walden Pond after a two-year hiatus. Observing the pond at different angles, each instance presented me with a new painting. Here, the Crystalline Foliage Scene. 

Here, Three to See Clearly Through.

Here, Rippled Fall Reflections.

Here, Autumnal Archway.

And here, October Oak. Life is exhilarating when seen anew through the peaceful perspectives of existence.