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Seek the the trees, trust the sunshine.

Picture taken from my front porch this morning!

As I knew it would, the sunshine has arrived. It feels absolutely wonderful out. I am looking forward to a weekend of camping. There is nothing like welcoming the coming of spring like a nice long weekend of getting away and turning everything off, and syncing up with nature. I often think of Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote:

Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience.

-- Lectures and Biographical Sketches (Education)

One of my favorite places on earth: the forest. (Berry College)

This growing passion of mine of getting outside and "adopting the pace of nature" has been an important part of my growth in the past year and helping me with discovering my authentic self and unearthing my dreams and diligently but patiently moving toward them. More on the subject of navigating change in the near future.

A beauty, who let me sit and rest a while beside her until I gained the strength to face the rest of  a difficult day. 

When going through difficult, even if exciting changes.... go to the trees.

Such great wisdom found there.

Rooting down into the earth as they grow tall.

Trusting that all will work out as it needs to.

Love the sunshine hitting the green blades of grass here. Taken also at the beautiful Berry College.

If you are going through a change, good or bad, trust that the sunshine and clear skies will again arrive.

Trust that all will work out beautifully.... EVENTUALLY. 

Trust yourself, and that you deserve good. You deserve beauty. You deserve love. 

much love to you all!

Ash

Gray Sky Beauties

The sky is completely gray again today. There was only a moment of sunshine yesterday morning. It was glorious. However, this morning I could feel myself sinking into a funk. This has been one of the longest stretches of gray here I can remember. I love rain usually, but right now I long to be outside, and to feel the warmth of sunlight on my skin. But...in honor of my new found love of Taoism I will enjoy the present moment, and open myself to the possibility of my current situation.

There is beauty in the gray. Here is a warm photograph of three lovely equine friends. Gray sky beauties. I see such tenderness in this photograph, and my lips can't help but curl each time I look at it. Such strong fond  feelings on a gray day.

( I call this collage of photographs Ode to Rain, taken on another recent rainy cold day)

May we all learn to sit and observe the joy that can be found even on the grayest of days. There is life teaming around us. There are still bird songs, and the peaceful steady fall of rain drops can soften the heart, and quiet the mind.

 I am looking forward to going home and lighting some candles, and warming some water in a kettle for some herbal tea. Maybe doing some slow sun salutations, soft stretching and tuning into my breath. Though I will be tankful for the sunshine when it arrives- I am happily aware of the beauty of the gray, wet moment that is now, and really now is the only moment I know I have for sure. I am glad I have the opportunity to be awake, aware and in tune with the present no matter how rainy.

Much love,

Ashley

Thankful.

Today I am thankful for blue skies after two days of rain. I appreciate the rain, and the reminder to slow down and rest, but I have been itching to wake up to sunshine. Though my 9:00 to 5:00 job keeps me mostly in doors, just getting the glimpse of golden rays and clear skies makes me smile. I am looking forward to spring, and the adventures ahead.

I've started this before, but here goes it again.

This whole blog thing. I'm not really sure. I don't know how people keep up with it. I've tried a few times before, and I'm not sure why I keep coming back to it. I like the idea of expressing myself, but I am not gifted with poetic verse, or witty prose or at least not that I can tell. I do however have my own desires for connections and self-expression, and as far as I can tell that is really what this whole blog thing is about. So, I am just open to seeing where this goes.

In a lot of ways I feel like I am at the beginnings of many discoveries in my life, and yet everything seems on the verge of ending. All I can do is keeping moving forward in my own vision for my life despite the way the world seems to be spinning madly out of control. I am determined to find beauty in this life and soak up the joys, which are so often found in the small things. I think this is a growing desire among people in general. It seems people are realizing that this life is worth living and it is not some dress rehearsal. It seems to me people are longing for connections. Connection with their own creative spirit, the earth and other people. At the same time this is harder now more than ever.

Here is to hoping we all wake up. Here is to dancing under the moon (something I simply just don't do enough), here is to riding a horse bare back, here is to stopping when you hear a fox cry outside and just listening, or to cuddling up with a loved one (animal or human) and syncing yourself to their rhythm. Here is to discovering your creative muse. Here is to the start of a new blog. Here is to life. May we live it.

What makes you feel free?
What makes you smile, like truly smile down in your gut, so happy you might jump up and down and clap your hands before you realize people are watching you?

Do whatever those things are more. I'll join you.