Susan Minarik – Page 55 – Notes from the Woods

Mom, Meet Gorilla

The host of the program I was listening to last Tuesday asked his listeners to send in their stories about a transcendental experience in their lives, one of those defining moments that you know you’ll always remember.

He read a couple of them, and you could feel the emotion in each one, the quiet power and beauty. Then he came to one that topped them all.

It was from a woman who identified herself as Maria. When her daughter was ten months old, Maria and her husband took her to the zoo. The baby fell asleep after a while and Maria was carrying her in her arms when they decided to visit the gorilla house. Someone had told them that a couple of the gorillas in there had babies.

They were barely in the door when Maria found herself across the glass from a seated mother gorilla, cradling her own baby in her massive, hairy arms the same way Maria was holding her daughter,

The two mothers stared at each other, each of them sharply aware of the bond that linked them. Maria bent down and held her sleeping daughter nearer to the glass so the mother gorilla could see her more fully. To Maria’s surprise, the big gorilla carried her sleeping baby to the glass for Maria to see. For about ten minutes, with only mere inches and a pane of glass separating them, the mothers showed off their babies, comparing their little hands and ears and faces and feet.

Those ten minutes with the gorilla mom were a defining moment in Maria’s life. They made it clear that the right decision for her was to turn down a job she had been offered. It was well-paying and would have been a definite step up on the career ladder. But it would have required her to put in a substantial amount of time. She took a lower paying one instead so she could spend more time with her baby. The moments she shared with the gorilla showed her that children come first. “That’s what nature directs,” she said.

Maria went on to have another daughter two years later, and now she’s expecting twin boys. And she credits her family life to what she learned the day she met the mama gorilla and her baby. May they all live happily ever after.

Wishing you a week in harmony with nature.

Warmly,
Susan

^{Image by Candice from Pixabay}

Another Thing

Another thing I’ve noticed about September
is how she loves to dance.

Inching Toward Autumn

The first notes sound
and the curtain lifts to reveal
a palette of gold and green.
Dusty rose Joe Pye weed
and waves of goldenrod
rise against the backdrop
of late summer’s multi-hued trees,
all of them waltzing in the warm, light breeze.
Now a crimson vine rises, trumpeting
September’s red theme in notes that will sound
in countless variations as the days unfold,
each of them flaming with poignant drama
as the year burns toward its close.

The Green Prevails

The green still prevails
and always shall, standing
as it does for life. Even so,
the seasons roll, each
having its purpose and time.
Thus autumn begins its ascent,
singing of harvest
in tones of rust and gold.
And on its heels the time of rest
will follow. But even then,
green stands, though there be
mountains of snow.

At Autumn’s Door

You would think that by the time
you got to your 77^th autumn,
the season would cease to amaze.
But here we are, almost at its door
and already I find myself gazing
with astonishment, my whole mind
shouting, “Look! Look! Oh, Wow!”

Around the Bend

Sometimes you need to take a different path,
to shake off the ordinary and routine.
You never know what surprises and delights
lurk just beyond the horizon. The world,
after all, is filled with wondrous things.
Why, one day you could take a turn
and, right around the bend, discover
a field full of sunflowers. You never know.

Autumn’s First Signs

The first leaves color and fall.
The light comes later and fades
all too soon. But in the heap
of wild foliage at the roadside
pale purple asters begin
their autumn dance. And oh,
the luscious fragrance
in the air!

Rough Neighborhoods

Finding themselves on rocky ground,
surrounded by the broken and the fallen,
in a place where the sun can find only
brief and narrow openings,
some spirits nonetheless thrive,
rejecting excuses for failing,
choosing instead to laugh and stand tall,
to shine their light, to blossom in love
and live free. If you should see them,
let your heart applaud.

Note to Self

Let your eye see beauty.
Meet the eyes of a stranger
with a smile. Dare to sing.
Allow yourself to savor
the pleasures of the moment,
even though the world
is filled with fear and pain.
Your one courageous act
of joy lessens the weight
of suffering that the world
has to bear. Do your best.
Tilt toward the light

Seize the Day

In a current events forum I frequent, I noticed a signature line: “Carpe Diem [Latin for “Seize the Day”]—It may be the only one you’ve got.” The writer intended it as a comment on the current state of world affairs, as a caution that because our world seems such a powder keg, we had better make the most of today.

I know that in certain circles, it’s popular to suggest that you should avoid the news, given its typically distressing nature, and focus instead on thoughts of a positive bent. I’m all in favor of focusing on life’s goodness, and firmly believe that it far outweighs the bad. But personally, I prefer to know what’s happening around the planet, whether the news is scary or not, and even when it sometimes breaks my heart.

For me, keeping tabs on world events is a matter of satisfying my curiosity about the nature of outer reality. It’s engagement with the world and part of the stewardship of citizenship. Even when reading it suggests to me that the whole human race is galloping headlong toward cataclysmic disaster, I’m happier knowing the context in which I live than I would be not knowing. I figure I can’t be part of the solution unless I have some understanding of the problem, after all.

But getting back to that signature line, “Carpe Diem” has been worthy advice since a poet named Horace first penned the words over 2,000 years ago. The rest of the sentence that begins with those words is “and put no trust in tomorrow.”

Of course we all do put trust in tomorrow. Trusting in tomorrow is what lets us dream and hope and plan; it’s what gives meaning to many of the activities we invest ourselves in today.

Nevertheless, tomorrow is an iffy kind of thing, even in the best of times. And while we’d like to believe it will unfold more or less according to our expectations, that’s never a certainty. The advice to grab hold of today is recognition of that fact. “Carpe Diem” is a spirited reminder that today—in fact, this moment—is the only day we know we have. It’s meant to be grabbed with eager attention and lived with vigor and zest. And if we squander all its moments living for, or dreading, our tomorrows, we miss the riches it holds for us to enjoy.

It’s a reminder to be aware of those things that bring you happiness and satisfaction, and to take time to savor them in the here and now. It’s a reminder to smell the roses, to appreciate good company, to feel gratitude for the things that comfort and challenge and strengthen and uplift us. That’s how we make memories worth reliving, after all, and how we give our lives meaning and flavor and joy.

“Carpe Diem.” It’s a bit of happiness-counsel worth heading. Put it on a sticky note somewhere that you’ll see it and when you do, take a moment to live its advice.

Wishing you days of vibrant joy.

Warmly,
Susan

^{Image by Jan Alexander from Pixabay}