Paradise Found!
Zion National Park
I’m in ZION NATIONAL PARK!!!!!!
…And I’m here in a 30-foot RV gazing up at “The Watchman” from an ideal site, sipping on “Campfire Stout” (an amazing “smores-inspired” locally-produced craft beer), and savoring leftovers of artisan pasta perfection with the love of my life by my side as we celebrate 15 years of magnificent marriage together – AND when we leave Zion, we will continue to explore a sensational slice of the American Southwest via scenic highways to drink in star-filled nights and a constant unfoldment of other-worldly wonders. Wow. As I considered the fact that at one time, this was all nothing more than a hope, a dream, an idea; and that now I am actually HERE doing THIS, I cannot help but well up with emotion, for in this moment, I have indeed found my heaven.
Paradise Lost… And Found.
As I opened my eyes and awakened into my first day back in our super-comfy bed, ultra-spacious master bedroom, and beautiful home back home in Florida, though I now had access to every comfort and joy imaginable, the transition from soaring in the energy of heavenly high altitudes to rediscovering my footing at only 30 feet above sea level proved to be far more challenging than I had anticipated. Yes, I most certainly knew that you bring your “altitude” with you, but for some reason, it felt as if my heaven was now thousands of miles away.
Rather than beat myself up for not immediately springing back into full Firewoman-ness, I decided to allow myself to take whatever time was called for to allow my body, mind, and spirit to find its balance. The laundry could wait. I could unpack little bits at a time. Phone calls and meetings could happen later. I could pause my projects in process, for I have, on plenty of occasions, seen the vast difference between the results that come from forcing and “making things happen” versus being in a state of clarity and flow. As I embraced my physical/emotional state of the moment and frequently said to myself, “I feel how I feel and it’s okay,” I began to find both the questions and answers that helped me rediscover the heaven that was waiting for me in my own back yard.
One of the answers flowed in the form of a song that looped in my mind, which was inspired by our time in a magical slot canyon at gorgeous Snow Canyon State Park in Utah. Though it was a piece that spoke to the spirit of place and a special moment in time, as I “listened’ to the words and replayed the echo of the canyon walls in my “mind’s ear,” I soon found everything I needed to reclaim my high altitude in the melody of “Canyon Walls…”
Canyon Walls
If you listen closely you will hear
The music dancing in the air
You can feel your spirit ring
For the canyon walls, they sing
If you travel up this way
The mountains have so much to say
So many answers do they bring
And the canyon walls, they sing
And the melody of light keeps moving
Yet it always finds a way
For in color and in shadow
Is where it likes to play
And at any given time
Of any given day
There’s music, music
If you listen closely you will hear
The music dancing in the air
You can feel your spirit ring
As the canyon walls sing…
The Bottom Line: Finding Heaven
Though I am at this moment not cruising the American Southwest in an RV, hiking a trail in Zion, Bryce, or Snow Canyon, or driving along scenic highway 12, I have already discovered that there is indeed music to be heard and adventure to be had right in my own back yard.
As I allowed myself time to listen and look for the light right where I was, I found music in the trees, while our chimes danced with the gentle breeze. The diversity of the songs and calls of the birds who visited our feeders began to remind me of the many things that bring light and life to my spirit. The gentle purr of our kitties, our little furry family, hummed the tune of contentment and illuminated all the comforts and simple pleasures of home. The sound of my sweetheart’s voice reminded me that my favorite traveling companion was still very much right here by my side. And in my heart and mind, the music that led to my path of least resistance to my greatest joy became louder and brighter until I was indeed feeling inspired, energized, and on fire! I had found my path back to heaven…
…But most importantly, I remembered that every time I am open and willing to listen “on any given time of any given day, there’s music…,” and in that sweet melody, I find my heaven right HERE with me.
Are YOU open and willing to listen for your life’s music and to look for the light right where YOU are?
How can YOU embrace adventure and infuse freshness, energy, and fun into your day-to-day life?
What does the music in YOUR heart have to say to you, and where is it asking you to go - or to become?
Here’s to giving thanks for all the heavenly moments that add richness to YOUR life, and to remembering that heaven can be anywhere and everywhere you ARE.