Okay: I know I said I wouldn't be posting again until after the holidays. But something unanticipated came my way and I wanted to share it with you.
Last night, Bonnie and I took a pre-dinner stroll around our city neighborhood in Charlotte. Heavy dark clouds had rolled in, and about halfway into our walk we heard booming thunder and saw a few lightning flashes. Knowing a heavy rain was coming, we decided to head back to our house before we got soaked.
And that's when we saw something magnificent. Through the dark grey clouds, a small glowing sliver of orange appeared behind the skyline and quickly flared into a full-blown spectacle of surreal color. We hurriedly walked a block or two so I could have a better vantage point to capture the scene on my iPhone. Two minutes later, the orange glow was gone. Not a trace of it was left in the sky.
For me, there were two poignant reminders wrapped up in this one glorious, fleeting visual display.
(1) Everything is ephemeral, passing quickly like the flaming orange sky. The impermanence makes it all the more special. (2) If we pay attention, the universe will never cease to leave us awestruck by its majesty and its mystery.
Happy holidays, my friends. I hope the New Year is a beautiful one for you.