The Wonder of Looking Up

It’s been years since we first started walking the land most every day. The relaxing and spiritually centering habit of walking the perimeter punctuates the beginning and ending of most of our days here at Adytum, our own cherished sanctuary.

We have our vista points over looking the shimmering expanse of Lake Mayfield, the Sacred Spot where we view the only forest of Blue Spruce planted on the hill and several more places to survey wild, natural beauty on these nearly 16 acres. Each year we scan the tops of the trees to see who survived winter or sadly, the disease that has hit the ancient maples. We survey the mountains that ring the lake. But mostly we look ahead. Straight ahead.

We’ve realized, however, that at certain points of our walk, we are focused on particular destinations ahead and many of them don’t involve looking up. Looking ahead in itself implies a sense of focused pursuit with goals to attain, achievements to score.

This land is always teaching me something, instructing me about life and seasons and joy and change. Today, I learned the value of looking up…

Variety among tree species isn’t a strong suit of the arboretum we enjoy at Adytum. Imagine how surprised I was to find, intertwined amongst a white blooming Elderberry, a lovely wild Dogwood in full bloom. I love Dogwood trees in spring time. Their huge white blossom looks pure as driven snow and almost fantastical in size and shape. It reminds me of celebration and exuberance…

I returned with the clippers on my next walk to trim out the invasive berry vines from under the Dogwood's “feet”. Its trunk was pretty, and it was mature. We had overlooked the spectacular bloom every year so far…We never look up at the start of the walk. We look to the path ahead.

As I walked back after clearing out a significant amount of brushy vines that detracted from the pure and simple beauty of the Dogwood in bloom, I noticed - I’m embarrassed to admit – three other equally beautifully blooming Wild Dogwood trees in full bloom… Turns out, we both missed them – and for years. Here they were, blooming their hearts out for the birds.

Work has been really stressful lately. I notice that when I get stressed or in a hurry, I literally see less. Something that I am looking for can be right in front of me and I fail to see it. Stress does that. We have patients at the eye clinic that lose their peripheral (side) vision under stress or panic attacks. What a huge signal to our spirit/mind/soul.

Stress reduces our vision, reduces our options, and provides limits that were not there before. I learned to breathe deeply in five times to reduce stress. After walking the hill to begin the walk where the Dogwoods have always been, blooming literally unseen by human eyes for years, it is steep. My breath would have been deep by then yet, still I didn’t “see”. At least, I didn’t look up.

To me, a state of wonder involves looking up. There is more to stress reduction than deep breathing and walks in nature. There is an element necessary to engage if we are to really see, really BE. That is the state of the child’s heart, which lives in curiosity and with a heart of wonder. A child fully engages the backward tilt of the head – and all the other “tilts” as well. No limits or undue focus implied.

Adytum has taught me a lesson today; one of many I know she has already conveyed to me in silent language. A well loved, now deceased horse, taught me the same profound, albeit silent lessons, as did the land at my last house. There is instruction all around us as the entire Universe conspires for our growth and evolution to the next levels of life.

I have been in stress. Breathe deep and let it go. Perspective is valuable. In other words, seriously, it could be so much worse. Come on now…

Remember always that there is beauty, joy and inspiration in looking Up. Even though God is inside the temple of our hearts, don’t we all think of Him as being “up there” mostly looking down on us? Looking up leads us then to our hearts in a roundabout way...

Today, a lesson from a family of Dogwoods whose beauty and gifts are only now being appreciated, after all these years… I’m sure there is another lesson there, but for now, I’m taking the cue to breathe deep, de-stress, to be, to have the heart of wonder like a child, and to look up. There are treasures above…God and a sea of fantastical, huge white flowers floating like stars on the spring air.

“I spent the first half of life learning to be a man. I’ll spend the second half learning to be a child.” Picasso