Hidden in plain sight

When I flipped the page on my calendar for the month of July the inspiration for the month says, “Life is the journey not the destination. Enjoy it!”

And it was a good remainder for me to not get too bogged down in things I don’t understand or see. Not to get too caught up in the darkness because I will miss the light. Not to be too afraid of me because then I will miss out on me.

Not to worry too much about things I can’t control because they are not meant to be controlled. Not to worry too much about what people have to say or how they feel about life because they are entitled to their feelings and thoughts and opinions. Just like I am.

Not to take on everyone’s burdens because we all have them and we all have to learn to carry our own loads. Not to worry too much about the things I cannot see because when the time is right they will reveal themselves to me.

I was reminded of all of this the other morning when I was out on a walk. When the air was still fresh and the roads were still quiet. When I walked by the harbour and looked over the wall. Looked in the water and tried to find some evidence of marine life. How I searched and searched for a fish, a manta ray, a sea cucumber, something, anything to reassure me that there was life in the harbour. But I saw nothing. Nothing except the clarity of the ocean. Its reflection shimmering and dancing against the sunlight and gentle breeze. Its silence as haunting as a sad song. Its beauty as enrapturing as a siren.

The meaning of its clarity hitting me suddenly and unexpectedly. Reminding me that even when we know something is there, we won’t see it until it wants to be seen. We can’t force anything out into the open. We can’t change the way the harbour flows and the creatures that live within it come out to be seen. We can’t force anything that is not meant to be. Even when it is right there in front of us. Hidden in plain sight.

 And then I looked out at the entire harbour rather than focusing so much on its perimeters. What I saw took my breath away. Majestic longtail birds flying over the harbour. The bottoms of their bodies reflecting the turquoise of the harbour. Their stark white bodies such a contrast against all the blue and I realised sometimes we spend so much time looking for one thing that we end up losing out on the big beautiful picture that is right before us.

I looked up and out and inhaled. Exhaling as I saw yachts and boats bobbing up and down on the harbour. A lone kayaker paddling silently sending out gentle ripples all around him. The pastel colours of the homes dotting the harbour and I knew my lesson was to look up and out. Rather than looking down and being so focused on finding what is not meant to be seen.

Because after all life is a journey not the destination. Meant to be fully and completely enjoyed. Not rushed to suit our time frames. Because it is not a race. It’s a journey. Opening us to all that is possible and in plain sight when we slow down and allow it to move us. Rather than us trying so hard to move it.