I thought about how we live our life and what comes after life. Are we reunited with our love ones who have already passed, can we communicate with the living, do we come back to life as someone or something else so many unknowns and mysteries. Gratefulness helps me open up and ask questions and see other possibilities, it makes me feel alive and curious!!
What came to mind for me was Newgrange in Ireland when I think of mysteries and gratefulness. I did visit on my last trip to Ireland. Newgrange is a 5,200 yr old passage tomb. The passage and chamber are aligned with the rising sun on the mornings around the Winter Solstice. I actually visited 2 sites.
That’s awesome! I’m Irish (family came from Galway), I hope to visit Ireland one day. Newgrange would def be on my list. I found Irish dancing as an adult and danced with The Timoneys (Philly based) for 11 yrs and they are my 2nd family. ☘🍀
“Day Beginning with Seeing the International Space Station and a Full Moon over the Gulf of Mexico and All Its Invisible Fishes”
by Jane Hirshfield
None of this had to happen.
Not Florida. Not the ibis’s beak. Not water.
Not the horseshoe crab’s empty body and not the living starfish.
Evolution might have turned left at the corner and gone down another street entirely.
The asteroid might have missed.
The seams of limestone need not have been susceptible to sand and mangrove.
The radio might have found a different music.
The hips of one man and the hips of another might have stood beside
each other on a bus in Aleppo and recognized themselves as long lost brothers.
The key could have broken off in the lock and the nail-can refused its lid.
I might have been the fish the brown pelican swallowed.
You might have been the way the moon kept not setting long after we thought it would,
long after the sun was catching inside the low wave curls coming in
at a certain angle. The light might not have been eaten again by its moving.
If the unbearable were not weightless we might yet buckle under the grief
of what hasn’t changed yet. Across the world a man pulls a woman from the water
from which the leapt-from overfilled boat has entirely vanished.
From the water pulls one child, another. Both are living and both will continue to live.
This not have to happen. No part of this had to happen.
Today we were happy to join with some friends to collect mushrooms. Isn´t it a mystery what these varieties represent, an incredible species, biologically located between being plant and animal. the fruit of the widespread underground mycelium comes to the surface only when it has been raining. It was starting to rain after a while and we all got drenched wet. But what a joy it was! Gratefulness for this rare opportunity to meet and to be in nature, grateful for the rain as this is essential for these beautiful and very special creatures to appear, and very grateful for being able to collecting these mysteries of life. All of this together made the walk in nature a wonderful experience all together. And what a fantastic meal will come from this! Mmmh…
Gratefulness helps me better appreciate the mysteries of life because it fosters a greater awareness within me to my surroundings. I’ve noticed that when my heart is in a loving, grateful space, the beauty of everything around me is gratified. Not only that, but I have noticed that when we are grateful for the things that we have, it makes us appreciate the things that are our of our control that the universe has blessed us with. Like the roaring of waves as they crash against the sand, or when the sun sets. These things continue to happen on this planet effortlessly, which makes me appreciate the things that are going well that are out of my control.
When I approach life with an attitude of gratitude, I don’t always need to ask WHY and find myself asking HOW can I best show up in this situation? I remember the first time I listened to a DVD of Br. David speaking about gratitude. He said that gratitude opens the door to opportunity. I’ve found that so true. Life is not a mystery to be solved or conquered. It is a process of allowing myself to be a more and more present and willing instrument of its wisdom. I posted this song in the gratitude lounge a few days ago but wanted to share it here because of today’s question. Hope it comes through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd1QnNBZQ2A
hmm: gratefulness ends in my experiencing happiness.
being in a state of happiness, allows for some facet of appreciation for what is and more open to being in awe.
This is a hard one for me as I am very analytical and am always searching for answers. Just leaving it to mystery feels like trouble. I look forward to learning from all of you. Perhaps accepting mystery is peace, and peace brings gratitude.
Rabbit, I see this as the first question, but then I didn’t answer the actual question! “Does gratefulness help me better appreciate the mysteries of life?”
One of the mysteries of life is its impermanence. The ever changing cloud patterns, the flowing of water before it is changed by evaporation and plant consumption only to return as rain or snow. Gratefulness keeps me in the present to appreciate all that my eyes take in.
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I thought about how we live our life and what comes after life. Are we reunited with our love ones who have already passed, can we communicate with the living, do we come back to life as someone or something else so many unknowns and mysteries. Gratefulness helps me open up and ask questions and see other possibilities, it makes me feel alive and curious!!
What came to mind for me was Newgrange in Ireland when I think of mysteries and gratefulness. I did visit on my last trip to Ireland. Newgrange is a 5,200 yr old passage tomb. The passage and chamber are aligned with the rising sun on the mornings around the Winter Solstice. I actually visited 2 sites.
That’s awesome! I’m Irish (family came from Galway), I hope to visit Ireland one day. Newgrange would def be on my list. I found Irish dancing as an adult and danced with The Timoneys (Philly based) for 11 yrs and they are my 2nd family. ☘🍀
This reminds me of a poem that I keep at my desk.
“Day Beginning with Seeing the International Space Station and a Full Moon over the Gulf of Mexico and All Its Invisible Fishes”
by Jane Hirshfield
None of this had to happen.
Not Florida. Not the ibis’s beak. Not water.
Not the horseshoe crab’s empty body and not the living starfish.
Evolution might have turned left at the corner and gone down another street entirely.
The asteroid might have missed.
The seams of limestone need not have been susceptible to sand and mangrove.
The radio might have found a different music.
The hips of one man and the hips of another might have stood beside
each other on a bus in Aleppo and recognized themselves as long lost brothers.
The key could have broken off in the lock and the nail-can refused its lid.
I might have been the fish the brown pelican swallowed.
You might have been the way the moon kept not setting long after we thought it would,
long after the sun was catching inside the low wave curls coming in
at a certain angle. The light might not have been eaten again by its moving.
If the unbearable were not weightless we might yet buckle under the grief
of what hasn’t changed yet. Across the world a man pulls a woman from the water
from which the leapt-from overfilled boat has entirely vanished.
From the water pulls one child, another. Both are living and both will continue to live.
This not have to happen. No part of this had to happen.
Today we were happy to join with some friends to collect mushrooms. Isn´t it a mystery what these varieties represent, an incredible species, biologically located between being plant and animal. the fruit of the widespread underground mycelium comes to the surface only when it has been raining. It was starting to rain after a while and we all got drenched wet. But what a joy it was! Gratefulness for this rare opportunity to meet and to be in nature, grateful for the rain as this is essential for these beautiful and very special creatures to appear, and very grateful for being able to collecting these mysteries of life. All of this together made the walk in nature a wonderful experience all together. And what a fantastic meal will come from this! Mmmh…
I’m a mushroom collector, too!
Perhaps not only the mysteries of life, but the full depth and dimension of life.
Gratefulness helps me better appreciate the mysteries of life because it fosters a greater awareness within me to my surroundings. I’ve noticed that when my heart is in a loving, grateful space, the beauty of everything around me is gratified. Not only that, but I have noticed that when we are grateful for the things that we have, it makes us appreciate the things that are our of our control that the universe has blessed us with. Like the roaring of waves as they crash against the sand, or when the sun sets. These things continue to happen on this planet effortlessly, which makes me appreciate the things that are going well that are out of my control.
Not being grateful is to be blind to the mysteries and beauties that are all around us. Gratefulness helps us to see!
Gratefulness encourages me to slowdown and notice the world around me.
Well said
When I approach life with an attitude of gratitude, I don’t always need to ask WHY and find myself asking HOW can I best show up in this situation? I remember the first time I listened to a DVD of Br. David speaking about gratitude. He said that gratitude opens the door to opportunity. I’ve found that so true. Life is not a mystery to be solved or conquered. It is a process of allowing myself to be a more and more present and willing instrument of its wisdom. I posted this song in the gratitude lounge a few days ago but wanted to share it here because of today’s question. Hope it comes through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd1QnNBZQ2A
hmm: gratefulness ends in my experiencing happiness.
being in a state of happiness, allows for some facet of appreciation for what is and more open to being in awe.
I think by being open to the gifts the universe has to offer and being grateful in accepting them is a true mystery.
I think it’s the opposite; “how does gratefulness elevate the mundane so everything is mysterious and magical.” In honor of October, so mote it be.
Love this, Avril!
Thank you Nicole
Yes! I too was thinking that paying attention makes the ordinary magical.
Thank you
I like this Avril. Study the ordinary to see magnificence.
Gratefulness helps me accept the things I cannot change and embrace the unknown (mysteries).
This is a hard one for me as I am very analytical and am always searching for answers. Just leaving it to mystery feels like trouble. I look forward to learning from all of you. Perhaps accepting mystery is peace, and peace brings gratitude.
Rabbit, I see this as the first question, but then I didn’t answer the actual question! “Does gratefulness help me better appreciate the mysteries of life?”
I probably didn’t either. It seemed like I wanted to reverse the question.
One of the mysteries of life is its impermanence. The ever changing cloud patterns, the flowing of water before it is changed by evaporation and plant consumption only to return as rain or snow. Gratefulness keeps me in the present to appreciate all that my eyes take in.