Building Sand Castles

Watching my children work together to build a sand castle this weekend filled me with such hope.  Focused on a joint vision, the dynamics between them reflected partnership and a near divine level of giving–both to each other and the project at hand.

Where often there is competition between them, magic bubbled up so iridescent and shiny I felt I could reach out and touch it.

If this wonderful mix of creation and love can be felt from two children working together to build a castle made of sand, imagine the mountains that can be moved when hundreds or thousands of passionate people join their hands, heads and hearts.  What a world we could build if we collectively focused on everything we want to create (healthy and educated people, clean water and air, nutritious food, abundance and joy) instead of all the things we want to avoid (crime, disease, pollution, lack, pain and suffering).

What a world, indeed.

So, what do you say?  Shall we get some brightly colored buckets and a few shovels and get to work?

Love

In the conference room of my office today I took a quick break from a group envelope stuffing project to sip a bit of my freshly-made mocha.  When the yummy caffeine concoction hit my tongue and warmth slid down my throat I moaned my love and appreciation so audibly that my coworkers stopped their stuffing to look up at me.  I just couldn’t help myself.  I was in pure rapture and sound escaped before my brain could flash the “WARNING: People will think you’re weird” light.

In an attempt at recovery I said, “Oh, I’m sorry.  I just LOVE this mocha.”

That’s when it hit me: joy IS love. Anytime I enjoy something it necessary follows that I love it; otherwise it would be merely acceptable.  I love / enjoy the sunshine, my kids smiles, a nice hot shower, (obviously) good mochas…  It also occurs to me that the things I truly enjoy / love I also feel a deep reverence for.  To me, there is something divine in sunshine, smiling children, hot showers and yes, a really good mocha.

Do you suppose that joy, love and divinity are all the same thing?

What if every time we feel that moaning-good-mocha feeling we are actually sending up little prayers of gratitude and joy?  Mantras of of love and reverence that ripple out and cause distant flowers to bloom?

I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.

-Henry Ward Beecher