Easter means different things to different people. For some it’s the risen Christ. For others, giant bunnies (real and chocolate) and eggs, and for still others it’s the kick off to spring and all that comes with climbing out of winter into that part of the year where we all give a big stretch and start feeling our primal oats, as it were.
I was fortunate enough to do something this Easter morning that I’m not often able to do. Not because any outside force prevents me from doing it, but just because I don’t take the time to do it.
On this particular Easter morning I found myself very isolated on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest watching the sun rise. I can’t begin to describe the beauty of the rolling hills in the foreground and the majestic peaks in the background, all lit by the ever growing morning sun. But what made this a very special sunrise was what I noticed. It started with the sound of the birds starting their day. Then seeing them going about their business, flying off to wherever it is they go to on Easter morning. Then I noticed the waving of the buckwheat in the breeze. I felt the cold wind on my face and thought, “hmmm, kind of cold…maybe I should head in”. But I made myself stay out there. Made myself watch that buckwheat and listen to those birds. Made myself feel that cold air and experience the sensation on my face. Made myself take the time to be consciously aware of this amazing, peaceful, beautiful world around me on this particular morning.
There were no phones, no barking dogs, no leaf blowers, no loud motorcycles or car horns, no blaring radios, no screaming children, no one asking anything of me. Just that peaceful world around me and that ever growing morning light. Instead of running from the cold breeze, I decided to run to it! To embrace it…to really take the time to feel it and experience it.
My good friend and mentor of over 30 years, Ken Dab-Row, often talks about this kind of thing on his website, My Positive Power.com. I really get what he’s talking about because there I was making it happen! Really taking the time to put literally everything else aside and experience the beautiful world around me and the once-in-a-lifetime experience it was giving me.
This is the kind of thing I would involve my listeners in. Ask them to share their similar experiences, and if they didn’t have any, to go and create them. But moreover, it’s more and more important for everybody to have these moments because we’re so consumed with our 4 inch screens, we’re missing the world around us. Yes, everybody is busy and has responsibilities, and sometimes it’s hard to find time just to breathe, but it’s simply about what’s really important in life.
I often think about what it would be like if any of those shows that are so popular actually came true. If we had no water, or too much…if zombies roamed around, if we got caught in a time warp. Crazy stuff that would probably never happen. But just take a second and think about how easy we’ve got it and all the incredible opportunities we have to experience truly amazing things around us every day. We don’t need to be fighting off zombies to appreciate life instead of being consumed by it.
I used to love to stay up all night and watch the sun come up. Standing out there, just me and nature, really brought all those late night/early mornings back. I’m pretty sure I left the phone off the rest of the day.