Sand Forests on the beach in Seaside, OR

Last month we took a 3-day weekend to relax in Seaside, Oregon. During one of the daily beach jaunts I saw this young boy building something completely original. He wasn’t building the usual sand castle, but something more like a forest, made of twigs and feathers and stones. Only assisted by his father in what appeared to be merely a gathering of goods.

I was struck by awe. And joy. What a wonderful, original work of art.

It also brings me great hope. Hope for our children and the possibilities that are before them–and before us. Endless possibilities for creative thought and unique expression.

What amazing and unfathomable worlds are yet to be ours?  After all, everything is possible. Isn’t it?

Flower bud, by Hagit

The new year always gets me thinking about creating new possibilities, starting fresh and thinking big.  I began preparing a couple days before the end of the year — cleaning out a few things, packing up old files and storing them, gathering items to give to Goodwill.

This is the first time I’ve seen the surface of my desk in months and months. I actually put away clothes from the basket that I’ve been adding to and pulling from for at least 6 weeks. And the little purple duffel bag I took to the beach back in August finally got emptied and off my bedroom floor. As I look around at the open spaces I’ve created I feel like the ground has been cleared for a fresh new crop of goodness to rise up into my life. I think I may even be breathing deeper.

Pondering this once-a-year motivation, it occurs to me that I could look at each and ever day the same way.  Every morning, after all, is a fresh start, a new opportunity to begin again and make the choices that support my life goals.

Happy new year!  And happy new day!

Yes is a world

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
all worlds
-e.e. cummings

There are few words more powerful than yes. Yes is more than a word–it’s a way of being.

Yes opens doors and windows and worlds. Yes is adventure and power and optimism.

Yes is the cosmic version of chocolate.

To find out what I mean, try this little experiment:  Stand or sit quietly. Close your eyes.  Say to yourself “YES” three times.  See how that feels.  Now, say to yourself “NO” three times.  See how differently that feels.

Answering yes, even when there is no question, opens up galaxies of possibilities and hope.

Yes.  Yes.  Yes.

Sue's Pink Poppies

My friend Sue is a Master Gardener, and the large patches of earth circling her home near Banks, Oregon, reflect that. Every time I visit her we take a leisurely turn around the garden.  She points out new starts and interesting things she’s learned; pruning a little here, pulling a weed there.  I ask about this or that and just generally gawk at the beauty she’s created.

This Sunday I saw for the very first time a pink poppy.  I didn’t even know they existed. I am not a Master Gardener, as you may have guessed.  I am, however, a bit of a photographer; so I immediately had to take a photo of this anomaly. I delighted for several minutes in this new find.  Not only did I learn something new (which I love to do) while reveling in the splendor of Sue’s garden; but I also opened another window of possibility in my mind.

If such a lovely thing as pink poppies exists without my knowledge, imagine what other wonders are commonplace for someone else that I am completely unaware of.  What other bits of deliciousness are just laying about waiting to be stumbled upon? The possibilities are endless, really. And that is one of the great and marvelous things about this world. At every moment we have the possibility of discovering new sources of beauty and joy, unfolding worlds before us like a napkin on a lap.

There are three things my father told me with such emphasis and frequency that I hear them repeated in my head over and over: 1) A good photographer uses a tripod (still haven’t nailed that one), 2) Write it down (in progress), and 3) Enjoy the journey.

I do believe I’m beginning to figure that last one out.