I walked down my drive way and there he stood, arms waving upward, fingers spread and he said, " Welcome to Paradise." I looked around, wondering who he was talking to and realized it was me and I said, " What?" with a twang of attitude, as if are you serious, open your eyes, this is not paradise! He said, " Welcome to paradise,"again, smiling and a twinkle in his eye. I looked around to see what he saw that I did not and I wondered am I really in paradise? I asked him, " Where is paradise?" He said, "Here, NOW." So, obviously I became immediately and somewhat over the top irrational with my willingness to rationalize to him why this absolutely is NOT paradise. He and I walked, he in silence and I babbling at the top, crunching my eyebrows together and feeling irritated that I was not aware I was in paradise and why did he have to go and say that and almost ruin my day because I thought I was in just a neutral place, not paradise. He rattled my world, shook it and I was tipping and toppling over and over with nothing to grip. I fell hard. I was thinking that someday I would be in paradise, that eventually I would create or be part of paradise, that I soon would be experiencing paradise. (The grass is greener on the other side syndrome) It had not occurred to me, EVER, that NOW is paradise. We continued to walk, he listened, laughed and I talked still attempting to grasp the message. He said again, " You know this is really paradise." Then I understood, that paradise is where, when, and how we make it real. We parted at the end of the walk, he smiled and I thanked him for wake up call and he disappeared into the abyss of paradise on the hill. I think about his words often especially when I am not feeling IN paradise and this reminder shakes me to my sense and immediately all is well, paradise arrives and I breathe with ease.
Today I walked down my driveway, Sidd on leash, visor strapped to catch the sleeting rain and fleece zipped to shield the strong wind. I began to feel my fingers and toes tingle with a chill and thought about Paradise and, Yes- I am in Paradise, NOW, yes I am, yes, yes. I ran uphill and chanted most of the way ..paradise, paradise, paradise............ This continued until I reached the top and the view was clearly paradise. In gratitude for rain, wind, Sidd, my neighbor with the orange hat and words that revealed change. Peacefully in Paradise...
