A few days ago, a beautiful sight appeared right outside my window.  An unexpected flock of cedar waxwings landed around the small pond in my yard and began splashing about, hopping on the rocks and clearly reveling in their discovery.  I couldn’t believe my eyes, as I had not seen a cedar waxwing in a very long time. 

In fact, that last time, was a few weeks after I had scattered the ashes of a beloved pet in a lovely creek in Colorado.  I had returned to the spot, taking a walk, and I stopped for a moment, closed my eyes, and when I opened them, in the bushes next to me were several waxwings.  They took my breath away then just as they did a few days ago at my home.

Cedar waxwings are like the Jaguar (automobile) of birds…elegant, beautiful, and somehow above the fray. They wear a mask reminiscent of Zorro, and sport a bright yellow patch on their tail.  Groups of cedar waxwings are called a “museum” of waxwings or an “ear-full” of waxwings.  How cool is that?  Seeing these birds  was a pure moment of grace, at least as I saw it.  For a moment, I wondered if my late dog, now an Australian Shepherd with angel wings, was visiting me again. 

Such moments are rare, but they do happen to us. The trick is to actually realize they are happening.  To be still enough to see the eagle in the sky.  Or the amazing red sunset. To look up from the GPS or computer tablet and notice how the light plays off the mountains.

Life is delicate.  It is fragile.  And it can be stunningly beautiful.

That’s good to remember when we are surrounded by so much arguing, so much hot air and such dysfunction.  It’s hard not to get sucked into the clamor. But if we are not very careful, the clamor will sink in our bones and steal our peace.  It will shove aside our childlike wonder that notices the butterfly land on our knee and instead, divert our attention to getting even, getting the last word, or getting revenge. 

No wonder so many people don’t see the butterfly.  Or the waxwing.  Or the red clouds.

Don’t be one of those people.

Resist.

The universe is waiting to wow you. Don’t miss it. 

“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait. Do not even wait, be quite still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”    Franz Kafka

 “Enough. These few words are enough. If not these words, this breath. If not this breath, this sitting here. This opening to the life we have refused again and again until now. Until now.”         David Whyte

“I never saw a discontented tree.”  John Muir