"Beauty isn't a thing. It's a way of seeing."
Clarity is found in the simplicity of beauty
Nothing in all creation is so like God than stillness.
Meister Eckhart
A clear crisp Canadian winter morning produces a stillness in the landscape. The sharpness of the cold initially feels like a slap on your comfortably warm face when you take your initial steps through the front door into the outdoors. With no breeze to speak of, the only audible sounds were my own....a swishing of my coat, and the squeakcrunch of my boots on the snow covered walkway.
I was in a hurry. Work beckoned. But as I put my bundles of books and bags down to open the car door, I looked up and around and saw what had been left on the branches of the trees the night before. My "way of seeing" shifted from closed focused goal driven busy-ness to an open minded sweep of seeing what was all around me.
take the time.........it whispered.......take the time to gaze.
Snowfrost, in splendour sparkling beauty adorned the branches of the normally naked trees. It had dressed them up in wonderland. Each branch was delicately brushed by the winter faeries who had quietly (and busily I might add) sprinkled diamonds of snow in the night when we were all asleep. It left a feeling of stillness, a natural holy space of contemplative presence.
I saw a pastel colour filtering through the fog.......a pale hue contrasting with the predominant morning white fog. I saw the glistening of snowbranches on a bush which would easily had blended into the snowbank behind it if it hadn't been for the shadows of the light reflecting onto the snow.
All alone..........not another person in sight........and yet I felt far from alone enjoying these gifts. After I took a few photos, I stood at the end of my driveway where I could see the river and a sweeping vista of the whole area. So peaceful. So quiet, even with the moving traffic on the road below. It seemed like the faerie dusting had muffled the sounds........ I took some long deep breaths of my cold crisp canadian air.........and felt empowered by the meditational gift offered to me and I swear all of a sudden I could hear a familiar hymn of peace fill this natural holy space.
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day
..........a blessed new day........
...........gazing........
8 comments:
I so want to smell canadian crisp air.........Wont be long, in the next two years it will be our honey moon. I cant wait and I am finding it hard to decide wether to come in spring or winter.
Beautiful...
when we do take the time to gaze it's like we take the time for it to travel from our eyes to our souls and rest there a while.
What a gorgeous was to start your day, and thank you for sharing your vista with us... :)
Beautiful pictures, Dana!
Hey Shaz. It depends on where you're headed in Canada....if skiing in the rockies (Alberta, BC) or the laurentians (Quebec) come in the winter. If you want to the spring flowers and gardens in all parts of Canada, come in the spring.
Where are you planning to go?
Katie. It was truly a beautiful albeit bloody cold morning! I took a couple of other pics I'll post this weekend.
Dustin....thank you. I'm sure they are very different photos than the ones you would take around your home? :)
Beautiful post and gorgeous photos. Moments of peace are not to be taken lightly. Thank you!
I would probably have a different perspective if i had to catch a train to get to work. but because i don't......i have the attitude that if i'm a couple of minutes late because i want to enjoy the beauty all around......i will.
life is always so darn busy doing busy work......its up to us to stop and take in what matters.
It always struck me when I worked in the ski resort that snow seems to envelop everything in a perfect hush. There is nothing more beautiful in this world than nature's gifts and we should all learn to stop and appreciate them more or they are wasted.
Gypsy....you comment reminds me of my early morning ski runs....the first run when you get off the lift and move away from the noise, you're surrounded by a silence that is so beautiful. I feel the same way when I'm walking in the woods too....the hush is comforting.
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