Kelsea wrote about her journey of listening to the northern wilderness of Alaska for the presence of nature and the nature of people to be revealed, for the gifts within them to be seen and drawn out of her. Kelsea’s focus on each hour of the day brings a journey back from my past when I paid attention and felt connected to the powerful movement of Life. Distractions of secondary importance tend to guide my days now, and unfortunately most of them are interesting and worthwhile.
Thich Nhat Hanh says that when we are doing the dishes, we should not think about other matters. We should be mindful only of washing the dishes. Hanh is speaking of being fully present to the moment, not just by listening and watching, but also by sharing ourselves with it. So when I am walking in nature, I should not be thinking about something else. I should listen to nature and let it speak to me as it wants.
Because of Kelsea’s words, I feel the pull to renew my journey by taking time each morning to open up to the day’s possibilities. Each night I want to reflect about the day, seeing where it has flowed, what insights were learned, and which people will need a compassionate word in the coming days.
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Glad to see Nhat Hanh quoted, Mark. I have loved his books. And using the dishwasing motif, as a former and forever washer of many dishes, I appreciate him doing that, too.
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