Moments of Grace….

I stand here on this early Saturday morning reflecting on life…..

These are challenging times for our country and for the world. I pray that we find our way through this soon.

In the meantime, how, I wonder, do we make the best of our precious time on this earth during these particular circumstances?

I find that I cherish more and more each moment of grace. The chance encounter at the grocery store where eye contact has to speak more than it ever has, given that the rest of our face is covered with a mask. And so we look, learn to smile with our eyes. And learn to enunciate more clearly speaking through our mask so that others can hear.

Some of my moment of grace this week :

Going to a nighttime (socially distanced) holiday event at the zoo where I volunteer. Taking a friend with me and both of us turning back into the excited 10 year old little girls that we once were when we look at all the beautiful huge lantern animals that created such a magical scene before us.

Going to the art supply store and connecting with the woman ringing up my purchases. i thought I recognized her accent and asked her if she was Italian (being a daughter of immigrant Italian parents myself). A delightful brief connection in that moment because I reached out (I can sometimes be shy, although much less so as I age, thank God) and she reached back. A shared smile and shared common ground.

Going to the grocery store and helping the clerk figure out what chestnuts are and telling her about roasting them and how they taste…..bringing back memories of my childhood to savor.

Having a voice lesson (yes, I am taking voice lessons now that I am retired….just because it sounds like fun…!) and having a lovely connection with my teacher (via zoom) and learning something new…feeling myself stretching into a new arena….with someone to guide me who takes me seriously…

Telling friends about my blog (did I mention my shyness) and having such sweet responses to that. If I want to talk about my voice being heard and encourage others to have theirs heard, I better put some action behind that!

Connecting with friends and ex’s – and realize that once there has been love, it never leaves. It may change form and expression, but it is always there. I am so grateful for that.

Taking care of my aging, ill kitty. He has liver cancer. And I am so cherishing (although at times with such pain and sadness) each moment with him and being grateful that I get to spend time with him still….until it is time. I tell him to let me know when it is time to go…..and the vet and I are working together to assess his comfort level. He lost his kitty companion (they have both been with me for 17 years) in June, and I don’t think that he ever was able to recover from that. We both still grieve.

Losses, pain, challenges, fears, anxieties – all part of life. And so are joy, excitement. connection, love, peace in solitude, creativity, gratitude. Although some may feel better than others, they are all moments of grace…..grace in this brief life we have been given. I am grateful for this moment of grace to be able to share some of my thoughts and feelings with you all. Thank you.