After several weeks of unusually warm weather, winter snuck back into town last night, plunging temperatures in San Antonio back down into the upper 30's, and forcing me to pull my heavy wool jacket back out of the closet and bundle up before going out to walk the dogs early this morning.
WALKING ALONG
Arriving at the Mission Reach stretch of the San Antonio River that passes through our neighborhood, we're greeted by the odd sight of a thick blanket of fog hovering over the river, but barely extending beyond the riverbanks. Strolling along the portion of the river that dips down just a couple of feet above the water, we're in the middle of thick fog, but just a few feet further on, where the sidewalk gains altitude as it leads up over the riverbank and away from the river channel, there's nothing but clear blue sky all around.
While the dogs busy themselves following their curiosity wherever their noses lead them, I reflect on the odd-looking specificity of the fogbank. It serves as an apt metaphor for how easy it is to get caught up in a fog of worry and/or confusion in our lives - and how simple (though not necessarily easy!) it is get out of such foggy conditions, by lifting our view a little higher.
SHIFTING MY VIEW
How often I have found myself feeling anxious, slogging through a seemingly endless bog of worries, feeling stuck in the yuck of shoulda-coulda-woulda - only to find that a few hours (or even seconds) later, a small shift in my point of view is enough for the fog to lift. Sometimes all it takes is several slow, deep breaths, a quiet prayer, or a brief meditation, to remind us that our situation is not as limited or limiting as it might appear... and change our point of view.
Walking back to the house, watching the budding trees dance in the crisp spring breeze under the cloudless sky, and remembering that just five minutes earlier I was surrounded by dense fog, I experience a renewed sense of wonder and gratitude for the precious, ever-shifting, ever-renewing gift of life - and the power of making conscious choices, one moment at a time. I really love this time of the year!
With joy,
Rudi
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