New Year’s Meditation On Snow

January 5th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Beyond Gotham

The snow is falling slowly, in its own time, on the evergreen. All is quiet. The New Year presents new possibilities and new questions. The possibilities are uncharted, the questions unanswered.

Still, the present moment is enough. What if we just reside in it, stop the running thoughts, and simply behold the surroundings? Take a moment to watch those snowflakes easing down, to look at the white on the green, the path of snowfall against a building’s beautiful stone or curving rooftop, or the swirling snow up in the sky.

What if we know that at this moment we don’t have answers for that project, that relationship, that ache, that plan, that ambition, that difficulty? We have this moment. We can breathe and notice it unfold before us. We can smile and feel peaceful, hear the wisdom of the ages in the tiniest chapter.

We are alive, and we can nourish ourselves with the beauty of now. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes in Peace Is Every Step, “Our appointment with life is in the present moment.”

The dance of snow changes directions. Outside, the wind chimes softly sound…ting, ting, ting, ting-a-ling. Oh moment, you are a gift!

Evergreen In Snow

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4 Comments so far ↓

  • Myra

    Hi Susan,

    Thank you for reminding us to stay in the present, especially after we all move at blinding speed right through holidays. We need to come to a screeching stop, to take inventory of oneself and the falling snow. Every second in our life is like a snowflake (there are no duplicates).

    Happy New Year, my friend!

  • Susan DeMark

    Hi, Myra,

    Very glad you found this helpful in reminding us to stay in the present. Believe me, it’s something I have to remind myself about all the time.

    I love your reference to “every second in our life” being like a snowflake. So beautiful, and so true! I like the image.

    Happy New Year to you, too — one with many, many good moments!

    Susan

  • Carol

    Now that’s just what i needed this morning to calm down and go to sleep. Thank you, Susie!

  • Susan DeMark

    Carol,

    So glad it had a calming effect!

    Happy New Year,
    Susan

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