Rainbow

We had just gotten 14 inches of snow the other day. Driving to work the following morning, I had my blues music playing as I often do. I use the hour commute to prep my mind. As I often work 18 hour days, the commute sometimes feels like a meditation, a sanctuary. On this particular morning, there was an energy in the air. It felt heavy and fast paced. I tuned it out and entered that Zen state of mind. Then rainbow...

The sun was just coming up and the light was dancing off of the freshly fallen snow. To my surprise, off to my left I saw a rainbow. I have never seen one with snow on the ground. Kind of magical. I was transported to a different mindset. I went from Zen to hyper-focused on this rainbow. I started to think about how many people are missing this beautiful gift? 

I am such a look at the water guy. I love the outdoors, animals and quiet. Living at the beach turned this already meditative guy, into practically a monk. I can recall as a young man, I needed order and to be in control. As I put more practice into my meditation, I realized while order is nice, it is not necessary. And control? Ah...control. It's an illusion. Between my meditation and then being a crisis counselor for 20 years, it became abundantly clear that we all take so much for granted. Life can change on the drop of the dime, and we have no control over that.

I like to take it slow. And the older I get, the slower the pace. You know the saying slow and steady wins the race? Yeah well, that's pretty much bullshit. But what slow does get you is an appreciation for life. You'll be healthier {in most cases} and you'll get it right the first time. So many of us are present in body, but our minds are so far away. 

So what's my point? Slow down. Breathe. Actually listen to people when they talk. And if you do, who knows. Maybe you'll see a rainbow. Better yet, maybe to someone you'll be one.