The mist on the lake this morning carries it’s own magic. The colours are more muted than usual; the sounds slightly softer. It’s an altogether more tranquil place when mist shrouds the water. I love it. And, I remembered to take my phone with me to capture the moment today!
Yesterday was an altogether different start to the day. It was bright and sunny – and warm for the time of year – but I left the house in a huff and forgot to take my camera or phone with me. In fact, I didn’t even meditate – I just sat and brooded – for a while.
The trigger was an inconsequential moment: a gesture intended to be helpful that went awry and I got cross. Not, blow-a-fuse, scream-the-house-down, slam-the-door-so-that-the-whole-road-know-about-it cross; just annoyed enough for it to spoil my sacred time at the lake.
Most of the geese at the lake are Canada Geese, a few Greylag Geese but, for me, the most beautiful of them all are the Egyptian Geese. Their plumage is vibrant and their eyes are beautifully contoured – hence the name. While I was sitting on the bank (purposefully NOT meditating) two Egyptian geese swam up, paddled out of the water to within a few feet of me and began a magnificent mating ritual. They stretched out their wings and bobbed their heads to each other, circling and honking in a moving display of courtship. I was mesmerised.
Of course, I couldn’t record any of this because I’d stomped out of the house in a strop without my phone!
The Dalai Lama says: anger is what we do to hurt ourselves when others make mistakes. And yesterday demonstrated that to me. To compound the situation, after the geese had swum off together side by side, a wren, normally timid little birds, hopped down and began pecking the ground nearby. Another missed photo opportunity – all because of my irritation.
I’m not saying that all anger is bad. I believe that anger about some injustices can galvanise us into taking action. But getting het up about the minutiae of life, when it’s just other people being themselves and not behaving the way we want them to, is a total waste of energy. Energy that could be far better spent creating loving gestures, or sharing magical moments at the lake with others.
And, of course, nothing lasts forever. Moods pass, mists fade, the sun comes out and life moves on. The tiff was forgotten by the time I got home filled with awe and humility at the scenes Nature had allowed me to witness. Another lesson learned – hopefully; don’t sweat the small stuff!
Reiki in Wanstead 