Being With What Is

"I seem to be waking to a larger world of wonderment- to catch little glimpses of the immensity of creation.  More than at any other time in my life, I seem to be aware of the beauties of our spinning planet and the sky above.  Old age is sharpening my awareness." Ram Dass - Being With What Is    When I read Ram Dass's quote early this morning, I thought, yes, I understand this. And then I went out with my camera. At 7:15 there were no other cars at the Henderson Recreation Centre and I walked towards the area I had visited yesterday, to find the little tree that had so captivated me.   Where was it?   I couldn't believe that I did not immediately recognize it-  I had downloaded more than fifty photographic portraits just the day before! I had been so focused on one tiny portion of the tree, that I hadn't really noticed its overall structure. I was enthralled with the jewel-like richness of colour in the crook, nestled between several branches. In this small area, covering perhaps eight inches, there was a rippling and puckering of wood and tiny concentric semi-circles. The colours seemed part of a rainbow. I had moved closer and still closer until my camera's lens-protector touched the wood.  Each time I pressed the shutter, I moved ever so slightly, sideways and then onto my toes.  For almost an hour I was receptive: the heart of the tree and I were in perfect harmony.                      click any photograph to see a full-sized image Today, when I finally rediscovered the tree's location, the light was at first too dim and then too harsh to truly capture its beauty.  While I have walked along this chip trail, perhaps one hundred times, it was only yesterday that the tree's radiance held me captive.  It was as if yesterday I had entered a sacred place, and that today, the magic was gone.