This morning on the way to work I was feeling a little off. I woke up a bit anxious, and despite a great, calming meditation session, some of the nervous energy was still clinging to me as I drove toward my day job. At one point on my route, there's a corner that I turn where suddenly Mount Rainier fills the sky ahead of me, towering over everything. Even though this is a daily occurrence, it never fails to take my breath away, and I always greet Grandfather Mountain loudly and enthusiastically.
In my personal mythology, he is my Grandfather the way the moon is my Grandmother, which is something I adopted over the years from my exposure to both Pagan and Native American sources. They look so similar in coloration and texture that it only makes sense to me that they are married. In the twenty-something years since I transplanted to the Seattle area from Minnesota, I have developed a very personal relationship with Grandfather, and some of the best wisdom I've ever received I've gotten from him. This morning was no different.
Because of my feelings of uncertainty, after saying my good-mornings to him, I asked if he had anything to share with me today. The following is what I heard in the silence of my head --
"Breathe. Even a great mountain does not stand on its own. It needs the support of the earth beneath it and the sky above. You are here. You are supported. You are loved."
At first the "You are here" part confused me. Then I realized that one of Grandfather's greatest messages, even without words, is his presence -- is being present. You are here, meaning 'you are present,' therefore you are supported by earth and sky.
So I began practicing presence -- the mindful presence of being grounded in my body rather than floating around in the mental/emotional realms. "Own your space," as my friend Pixie told me once. It is amazing how, when I allow myself to sink into my body, and be fully present in the moment, I really do feel supported... and loved. It somehow seems ironic that it's when you let go of the world around you and focus on being your individual self, that you feel the most connected to everything around you. That connection is love.
Thank you Grandfather. I love you too.
In my personal mythology, he is my Grandfather the way the moon is my Grandmother, which is something I adopted over the years from my exposure to both Pagan and Native American sources. They look so similar in coloration and texture that it only makes sense to me that they are married. In the twenty-something years since I transplanted to the Seattle area from Minnesota, I have developed a very personal relationship with Grandfather, and some of the best wisdom I've ever received I've gotten from him. This morning was no different.
Because of my feelings of uncertainty, after saying my good-mornings to him, I asked if he had anything to share with me today. The following is what I heard in the silence of my head --
"Breathe. Even a great mountain does not stand on its own. It needs the support of the earth beneath it and the sky above. You are here. You are supported. You are loved."
At first the "You are here" part confused me. Then I realized that one of Grandfather's greatest messages, even without words, is his presence -- is being present. You are here, meaning 'you are present,' therefore you are supported by earth and sky.
So I began practicing presence -- the mindful presence of being grounded in my body rather than floating around in the mental/emotional realms. "Own your space," as my friend Pixie told me once. It is amazing how, when I allow myself to sink into my body, and be fully present in the moment, I really do feel supported... and loved. It somehow seems ironic that it's when you let go of the world around you and focus on being your individual self, that you feel the most connected to everything around you. That connection is love.
Thank you Grandfather. I love you too.
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