The Miracles of Spring
“There are only two ways to live your life.
One is though nothing is a miracle
The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
Miracles are Natural.
Miracles are Normal.
We can cut ourselves off from the miracles that occur every day, by seeing them as some sort of break with the natural order, or unprecedented phenomena. This definition makes miracles unusual or rare- my hero Albert reminds us that is a misperception and a choice. We could actually see miracles everywhere if we were wearing the right glasses.
I was recently driving through an area impacted by the fires of California last summer…for a moment I had a fearful thought of dreading another year of that, with the drier winter than we needed in the background…as I looked at the hillside I could see the charred remains of bushes and trees, and then a sudden shift of light showed me the saplings popping up green in every direction. Nature is surely a miracle maker and is always showing us the miracle of Spring…the renewal of life where it doesn’t seem possible.
These past few weeks have seemed more like a nightmare than a miracle…the dark side of humanity showing up in repetitive and disturbing ways. That experience is not to be disputed but at the same time – something else started to show up. If you look closely you will see shifts in thinking resulting in changes in outcomes – from the trial that has been center stage to action by network TV to defer programming in order to give audience to these changes. The President deferring a plan in order to give honor to a moment in history. People sharing their support and love where before there might have been conflict.
If we actually took Albert’s advice and lived as though everything is a miracle – not something we take for granted- like Spring’s constant rejuvenation – like the Antelope showing up in the valley near my home, like my dogs always being joyful no matter what, like the Universal presence of Love if I just slightly shift my gaze; – then how would life unfold? Let’s try it and see.
