A Little Epiphany

You rarely see them coming, or only dimly, hazy enough that you might not believe what you see. I use this photograph (not really taken today) because I like it, and because it vaguely demonstrates my little epiphany of this day.

I had taken Lumen for his walk, Including visits with his friends about the place. We had gone across the busy road to Shearwater Park and spotted a cormorant's sudden flight. (Lumen loves watching birds in flight; he will watch them until they are a distant and vanished dot. I love this about him). We had had a lovely time, so returning home I felt more than ready to do a little creative work. But Lumen wanted to "Fetch". So I postponed and played, not really having the patience, though he is getting better at dropping the toy so my hand doesn't get mauled. 

As we played, I kept getting the urge to go to the keyboard. I hadn't made music in a long time. Certainly not since Lumen entered my life. I first began playing when my old Music was a pup, and he would lie down nearby and kind of merge with the Music. His name came from that time, when I was channeling dance into music. 

So I finally yielded. I was terribly out of the habit of letting that musical flow come forth. My fingers were tight and awkward at first. And Lumen's reaction matched the sounds that escaped. He was startled and disturbed. But I kept starting over; I knew I must let go of trying. I must let go and rest in the simple process of touching the keys with my fingertips. Not be attached to result... So things became easier and simpler and less disturbing to the little dog and to me. He lay down on the rug beneath the table, and I focused my gaze on his stillness. We made the music together. Or it made us...

I had recorded it, so I played it back and went from the keyboard to the easel where my fingers engaged in a different dance. By the time this dance had completed itself, Lumen had entered his crate and fallen asleep. And I came here to write about little epiphanys. Little gifts that find us when we are ready and open to receive. This is my thank you...