There is a tree across the street from the window I’ve been sitting at for the past few days. It’s actually across the street and behind another house. But it’s a massive tree, maybe 70 feet high, so you notice it right away from the window. It is not just the size of the tree that impresses. The leaves are in constant motion shifting back and forth in the slightest wind. I’m pretty sure it is a poplar tree, but that’s really a minor point. The movement of the leaves together with the sunlight create a fluid effect. The tree is back-lit by the rising morning sun and then changes throughout the day until it begins to glow as the sun is setting. All the while the leaves are shimmering. It is the motion and light together which are mesmerizing.
Motion and Light
I have had a lot of time to sit and be present with this tree. It is constantly changing and I am reminded of Monet’s multiple paintings of the exact same landscape. Each painting is different because he was tuning into the changing light and energy and then captured that on canvas.
This tree is a message to me that if I just pay attention, I will remember that every part of the universe is in motion. Everything is changing moment by moment. I can’t stop it. But I can choose to be at peace with the beauty of that movement.
And the other thing I know is that everything is infused with light. There is the sunlight that bathes this tree, but there is a metaphorical light that is present in so many forms when I just stop and pay attention. Light has always been associated with love and this week in particular I have felt so much light and love from people around me. I’m stopping and paying attention in the middle of a very hard situation, and so I am noticing it now. But I am certain it is always there and so motion and light are the mindfulness focus words for the week. The task is just to be aware of them in all their manifestations.
For more information on my Mindfulness Focus Word Experiment click here
I notice the motion and light and most mesmerized by ithat at the ocean. I can sit and watch the waves, that rythmic rolling in of water, for a long time, and experience peace. The blue of the water also is significant in bringing peace to humans, and there is the sound. If you were right under the tree, you might hear the sound of the leaves too. Peace.
yes – 🙂