One Wild and Precious Life

The weather has been wild today, it felt very autumnal indeed.

And whilst I felt like I have been recovering quite well from covid, the lungs aren’t feeling so good today. It takes time I know, it’s only been a couple of weeks.

I did a run, gym, run session this morning which made a nice change. Passages from my magazine yesterday stayed with me throughout the day. Taking a few moments to be present, doing routine tasks with more mindfulness. It has reminded me a lot of the practices that became second nature after the 8 week course.

A busy day but some down time this evening to get some meditation done. My little pup, Raffles, likes to keep me company, especially when I sit on the floor, parking himself in my lap. He’s only 2 years old and a lot more chilled that he used to be. He had a tiring day with his little playmate too, so he didn’t disturb me at all. My meditation wasn’t long, but I did it.

A colleague of mine today said she didn’t even know I had a dog and that I should post more pictures of him so here he is. He is of course great company for my teenage children and being a border terrier doesn’t mind the wild weather.

Considering ‘wild’ made me remember a beautiful poem by Mary Oliver, who sadly passed away in 2019.. The Summer Day. Here it is. The words at the end have always stayed with me since I heard it several years ago.. I hope you enjoy it..

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down --
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?