The Meadow

Beauty is all around us, if we choose to see it...

She walked out of the home she had made with her family and settled in her spot underneath the giant willow tree planted centuries ago. Its long, wispy branches provided just the tranquil place she needed to connect back to her heart.

As she nestled in underneath the tree, the mossy grass cradling her like a thousand pillows, she took out her book. She tried to begin reading, but before she could open the cover, she began to notice everything around her.

The grass was a vibrant green, so bright it almost seemed to come from a storybook. The flowers in the meadow just yards away were blooming their first buds of spring. Purple, lilac, pink, yellow, and orange tulip buds dotted the landscape like someone had painted them using inspiration from heaven. And the willow tree branches touched the floor, creating a beautiful cascade of peace all around.

And there was the unseen as well. The wind was gently blowing, sending little wisps of her hair into a dance that moved around her face, perfectly choreographed to the nature around her. She felt the breeze on her skin - the perfect temperature to keep her both warm and cool at the same time.

She ran her bare feet over the earth, stopping to think about just how perfect it all was. A bird chirped in the background, singing its song of love and peace. The air smelled sweet and fresh, like spring, and the grass added to the aroma.

For all of her problems and all of the pain of the “what if,” she was struck in the moment by her ability to focus on just what was right then. She felt the beauty of it all bubbling up in her heart, and she was so grateful she was alive, right here and right now, to experience even a single blade of beautiful green grass.

This was perfect just how it was, and for a moment, her problems were not all that insurmountable. Think of it! All this beauty was right there for anyone wanting to see it. All of the perfection of it, so much life, love, and joy, right there at the moment she chose to look.

She took stock of things in the now moment she was experiencing. She thought about her family. They were all happy and healthy. She thought about her life outside of the willow tree, and while uncertain, she did have everything she needed right then, in that moment. And she realized that was what life was all about. Wasn’t it?

What good fearing the future, when the right now was so absolutely stunning and peaceful? Without the buzz of smartphones, social media, and television, a song danced in her head. She played it over and over as she marveled at the beauty of what she was experiencing.

Photo by 捷 简 on Unsplash

Suddenly, a loud slamming noise jolted her from her imagination. She saw her son come in from school. She slowly took stock of what was around her. In a messy kitchen, dishes are piled in the sink. Her son’s shoes kicked off, in the middle of the hallway. A stack of unpaid bills on the countertop that she had been hovering over…

But instead of heading back to where one usually would, she remembered her tree and her meadow. She scooped her son into a joyful hug. She kissed him on the forehead and asked him about his day. She listened intently as he told her all about it. She still felt the joy of the place she had spent those moments in, but instead, it was a flood of appreciation for her blessings. As her husband and daughter came into the room and she cooked a meal, she knew she could always go back there when she needed a reminder, but there was just as much beauty and love right there in front of her.