April 2024
Eclipse photo by Danish artist and photographer “Danehrr22” on Pixabay
April is one of the most beautiful months in Texas. Bluebonnets and other wildflowers line the roadways and blanket the hillsides in purple, orange, yellow, and white. It is breathtaking, especially in the country. Our month started with a long weekend in the Hill Country where life takes on a different vibe and a slower pace. We call it our “happy place.” It is always a refreshing change from the big city, and a chance to unwind. Nature soothes our souls and feeds our spirits.
The next weekend we had the joy of a houseful of family, as our daughters came up for the weekend and we celebrated my sister-in-law’s birthday. The girls stayed through Monday afternoon for the solar eclipse. Dallas/Ft.Worth was in the path of totality, so we all got our eclipse glasses and sat on the back patio to watch it unfold. We were glad and grateful to have shared that rare and awe-inspiring experience. As Art and I watched the news coverage that night, we were moved by the stories and images from around the country as people gathered to take in this natural phenomenon. An article I read the next day described it well:
The solar eclipse tapped into a primal emotion. It evoked for many a mystical moment, as awareness of the celestial encompassed the earth. It revealed the close dance between spirituality and science. For a nation pulled apart by every manner of division, the eclipse also offered a moment of unity, however brief. It was a reminder to everyone, on the same day and at the same time, that life can be magical. That being alive is a collective experience. That there is something astonishing about being part of the greater story of things. --Elizabeth Dias, The New York Times
The joy, awe and wonder of the past few weeks have energized and uplifted me on every level. It started with the wildflowers, followed by the love and laughter of family, and topped by the solar eclipse. It’s amazing how a shift in perspective toward hope and possibility, optimism, beauty, and unity, can give us a boost of oxygen. Sometimes all it takes is a sliver of light. In a time that looks and feels darker than perhaps we’ve ever known, we are reminded that the light is always present, life is full of mystery and magic, and we are connected to all of it. We are part of a grand universe that surrounds, supports, and surprises us.
Life is discovering the love that we create.
Life is a mystery we need to embrace.
In every way you need to let go.
You’ll see all your dreams will follow.
In every way you need to let go.
People rise together when they believe in tomorrow.
Change the day to forever. This life keeps movin’. -Samantha James, Rise
(Full song link: https://youtu.be/6YKeEMpBc64?si=IzxG-EVq84fWh2su)
When we have hope, optimism, and belief in something greater than us, we can rise together to create a better world. The high levels of depression, anxiety, and suicide in our country are signs of hopelessness and despair. It’s hard to believe in tomorrow when we don’t feel connected to Love and to each other. Experiences of awe and wonder are like the sunlight re-emerging from behind the moon with its brilliance, bursting forth and taking our breath away. As people witnessed the eclipse, they gasped and cheered. Some cried. Awareness of the celestial encompassed the earth.
How do we hold onto this awe and wonder? By letting go of all that blocks the light and dims our awareness of the divine. By letting nature nurture and energize us. By choosing gratitude and joy as our beacons each day. Pause, breathe, and pay attention to the beauty that surrounds you. Remember to look up. Imagine and believe in a better, brighter tomorrow, and you will help it unfold.
Wisdom, strength, courage and all harmonious conditions are a direct result of spiritual power, with which we are already equipped.
-Ernest Holmes
Rise & Shine,
ej
Elisa J. Juarez