The crow called me from bed the past few mornings, screaming “Into the day. Into the day.”
So I followed his advice. I slipped my feet from the bed to the cool floor and saw the moon setting as the sun rose from the other window. He called again and I climbed the stairs to the rooftop. A masterpiece of color surrounded me as the moon faded into the rising sun, shades of red pink and orange extending into the blue sky of dawn. A flurry of birds flew overhead; grakles, chatting lively. I touched the leaf of the palm tree that reaches for the sun a little higher each morning. The small hornets nest growing just inside began to buzz as the miniaturely fierce insects awakened too. I don’t dare touch them but there is a bird who will. Not the crow. Some other fearless creature looking for sustenance amidst the sting.
Regardless, if I’m careful, we can all share the space. There is so much. Space all around, regardless if my neighbor’s are building more, higher, bigger. There is space to put my feet into grass, no matter how small the patch, to stick my nose into a flower, regardless with whom I share it, to lift my gaze and find the moon sinking into the dawn of this new day that my friend the crow has called me to witness. I’ll leave unsalted peanuts and an unpaired earring on my altar to invite him to stay next time he calls to remind me, “It’s not paradise lost. You’ve just forgotten to notice the masterpiece that is life.”
Take the time to hear the crow’s call and follow it. That cry leads to a renewed sense of magic in the everyday. Because, everyday is magic.
Let’s preserve it and document the magic and beauty all around us. We can share it through photos, essays, drawings and paintings. Launching in October, I’ll be compiling expressions of the beauty in the everyday with my dear friend Bathsheba Monk, CEO Blue Heron Bookworks. We’ll call it Paradise Found and the 5 yearly issues will help us take that first step in coming home to our magnificence: awareness that it’s right in front of us. Contact me for details on submissions. It’s going to be stellar.
If you can’t wait and you’re feeling less than inspired, we can help with yoga, meditation and present moment awareness. These practices cultivate a sense of connectedness to all living beings that lifts your gaze toward the magic that is today. To help, I’m hosting long weekend retreats all June at Tribal Tulum with Ricardo Castro. I’m offering a disconnect month or two at my casita in the Mayan village. And if you dare to plan ahead, save the date for our Yoga and Writing retreat October 29th to November 3rd, 2025. All great ways to settle into the miracle that is you.