Time and The Day That Wasn’t
100th Edition
Happy Spiritual Monday!
As this edition was meant to be released, the first big trip we have taken with our son came to a close. We boarded a plane in the US, Sunday evening, and landed in Australia Tuesday. So I will actually not experience this Spiritual Monday as far as the calendar is concerned. What a way to celebrate the entry into triple digits with the 100th edition of this letter! Editors note... do to my mistake, this edition didn’t send out on Monday, so here we are better late than never!
Centenarians
In the past 3 weeks I’ve had little down time, between long haul flights, managing jet lag, tending to a toddler and his journey with jet lag, catching up with family and friends and visiting childhood haunts.
In this journey, I’ve had brief moments of respite in which I meditate on life and living. Meaning, purpose, drive, joy, passion... just a few of the genres of contemplation I have sat with. As this marks a seemingly significant transition into the 100 club, I’m left with a sense that the meaning associated with 100 editions of the letter is subjective and not really as meaningful as I would have imagined.
On the one hand I’m proud I have achieved this level/ landmark as not all things started last into longevity and 100 is a monumental number. On the other hand, it’s just another day and it’s just a number in a counting scheme that has been developed by someone over time somewhere.
As humans, we are great at celebrating events, holidays, moments which seem etched into time and hold meaning for us. Days of establishment of country, independence, are celebrated, “important” people’s birthdays are celebrated, anniversaries and much more. Everyone has their way of celebrating, with parties, gatherings, ceremonies etc, but the point is that we celebrate.
My mind has always been tuned into deep introspection and sort of has the sense of a 2 year old looking at things in the world and asking “why?” Repeatedly. Why do we often wait until certain moments to celebrate life, when every moment is glorious?
Animalia
When I find my inner contemplating biting dead ends of answerlessness, I often look to the animal kingdom. Most of us would have witnessed animals in real life (I hope...) but at the least would have had the opportunity to have viewed the likes of Attenborough or his ilk narrating the goings on in the wilderness.
I always find myself returning to nature for answers or inspiration, mainly because we are nature and it makes sense to me. One fascinating element I’ve considered is the primal essence of the wild kingdom, and after a lifetime of observation, witnessing and watching who knows how many hours of documentaries of the wild, there is one element I have yet to see: celebration.
In the wild, it is survival. There are hunters, there are prey, there is abundance and there is scarcity. Most of us humans have it so damn good that we are blind to the craziness existing under our very feet daily.
Upon reflecting on this holiday we have taken to share the world with our son, I realise how interesting the concept of a holiday truly is. Taking time off from the normalcy of our lives, in a way, seems preposterous! It is also quite luxurious.
Animals aren’t afforded the opportunity. Not just for a holiday, but for general celebration. Lions, for example, are long considered the king of the animals, at least in Africa where they freely roam. They have seemingly cruisy lives as much of their days are spent resting, but there is a constant push for hunting, sustenance, territorial and breeding rights, rearing cubs and much more than we are aware of.
When they make a kill, they eat and perhaps that may be a sense of celebration, but they are in a mode of survival which doesn’t afford the time to come back to the den and party.
In this way, I don’t see any need for any pomp and circumstance for this 100th edition, I’m just joyful that it goes on.
Learning/Teaching
I truly believe learning in this human existence never stops, unless we submit to death’s desire to welcome us into the next phase of soul journey. I regularly mention how blessed I am to have a little guru reminding me how fun learning is and how to be curious and I am grateful for the constant reminder.
There is a saying that comes from somewhere in China that simply states: Teacher, student, no difference. Together we make the learning.
I like this. Especially as it has been a full season since I have stood in the role, or label, of teacher in front of other adults. My student base has gone from hundreds to a single, beautiful tiny man. There have been times where I have found myself in doubt that I don’t know enough, haven’t experienced enough or created enough to give my son a proper education in the ways of the world. These are dark times in my being, amplified with some facets of the darkness in the world we live in.
But just as the dark yields to the light, they are necessary. As a side note, I am currently writing this atop a hill watching my last California sunrise as my son sleeps in the seat behind me. The angle of the sun is in perfect alignment with his beautiful face, so what a perfect example of dark and light...
What I have come to find is that I am in the student position along with him. We are both learning and both teaching each other in ways that I had no idea could transpire. Not only did I have no idea, but I couldn’t have had an idea which I am finding is the beauty.
Cerebrally I have always known and accepted that not knowing is one of the greatest gifts of this grand mystery. Now I am slowly started to feel and experience this concept. And this, I dare say, is one fundamental element of presence. We cast spells with the words we use all the time, but we often don’t recognise the impact of our spells and words.
Being, now, present. These are but words if we don’t look deeper, but they are ineffable states of existing which we do our best to encapsulate. Like capturing love in a bottle, we try to philosophise on life and its elements, which is essential to our humanity and interconnection, but all words fall short of the impact of the true sense of beauty in being.
In Closing
As we are leaving our families for the foreseeable future, I was left with a heartfelt blossoming of deep gratitude. Gratitude for a beautiful, healthy, vibrant boy who has smiled at hundreds of new people in these travels gratitude for him experiencing our families and them experiencing him. Gratitude that we made it, 4 x 10-15 hour flights, jet lag, interesting hurdles.
Gratitude for a home to return to, the ocean, the bush and forests. Gratitude for all of the nature that we are.
And lastly, gratitude to keep writing the story.
And so it is, with love.
Time and The Day that Wasn’t