Bursts of beauty have been filling my days lately. Connection points with people, environments, plants. They grab me, draw me into their spell and don’t really let me go.
Perhaps it’s the season or a willingness to open up a little more than usual to the world, to people. I’m not sure, and I don’t think it really matters why. The only thing that truly matters is having a receptiveness to the beauty that is always around.
Leaves. Budding leaves on the trees. Walking through the forest the other day I kept stopping to look at all the glimmers of green. First, it was the moss carpeting the ground. A deep rich green with hints of a brighter lime green in it, so rich I felt I could lie down and sink forever into the cushioned depths.
Raising my eyes higher, sharp shots of neon green would catch me, then disappear. Small jolting dots of colour lifting off of branches, floating midway between the forest floor and the branches of the big trees, sporting tiny unfurlings of leaves that would soon be big and broad. For now, remaining slight bright jewelry on otherwise barren branches.
People! A young woman living the legendary Yukon life (for real – on a trapline 80km outside of Dawson City, every summer). Somehow, crossing paths with me here in the Cowichan Valley, and sharing her story.
Hosting a family for dinner. New to the Valley, with big ideals, enthusiasm for this place and desires for an art party. Watching their children create. Painting, drawing, ideas and images flowing freely out of them in constant waves and washes of colour and devotion. Vibrancy in action.
A man. Big and tall, bearded and passionate about almost everything. More than two hours, gone by in a blur as I soaked in his stories, his ideas, his attention.
5Rhythms dance. Moving and feeling free in my body, surrounded by other people letting their bodies be moved by internal impulses, the music, each other. Feeling such gratitude to find spaces like this in which to express and play.
Eye contact. Raising my gaze, letting eye contact happen, meeting another’s eyes, feeling the thrum of connection, the fear of drowning in the depths of their eyes, the excitement of it.
Circles of women, fierce about facing their own shadows, about growing and becoming better people. Playful and genuine about the process, involving art, peer support, astrology and the body. Women from all over the world, connecting online, yet always heart to heart.
Another man, sweetly equipped with a picnic basket and a bumpy hillside drive, delighting my senses with stories, honesty, thoughtfully prepared food.
A dance party. A costumed dance party. In a tiny home out of town, sparkling with fairy lights as I approached through the country darkness. I parked on the side of the road and used my smartphone flashlight to guide my way up the muddy forest path.
Above, a sky filled with stars, shimmering and bright. Around me, the sounds of a frogpond in noisy chorus. Ahead, the house, bass pounding from the walls, promises of dancing and fun drawing me forward.
Underfoot, slippery mud, a steep climb. Inside, beautiful people, costumed, hugging, snacking, drinking, dancing. So much laughter. So much beauty.
Stories. Connecting through the gift of stories. People sharing their stories at my request, because of my curiosity. What a gift, receiving these stories. Watching my preconceptions and judgments melt in the face of the humanness of all of us. Feeling my heart melt as a result.
As usual, I’m so curious.
How have you been connecting with your world lately? What beauty have you let into your heart, your life? How could you open up to even more?
I’m truly interested.
Until next time,
Janelle
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