More than a handful of my closest loved ones have
birthdays in this glorious springtime, in the months of March and April. As I
sent out two birthday greetings early yesterday morning, I felt great gratitude
and celebration for the day of birth that allows me to specially recognize and
honor these sisters, friends, nieces, companions, and mentors on the journey we
share on this earth.
Somehow, now, I feel more elation and gratitude
than on my own birthday (typically a selfish affair wrought with thoughts of
me, me, me). Yesterday I looked at the just-opened, small yet brilliant green
fresh leaves on the alders in my yard, and I wanted to sing a song for each
leaf, each person in my life, each birthday in this blossoming spring! Perhaps
it is selfishness now, too; because of these dear ones whose birthdays I pay
close attention to this month, because of the beauty offered to me by the
alders' seasonal attire, I am filled and made whole. I am offered blessings
unimaginable. I am richer and deeper; I am supported, loved, filled,
entertained, humored, held and can feel part of the inextricably woven
threads that have brought us into one another's lives. Because of the birthday
celebrants, my life is better.
I want to dance a small movement, write a beautiful
song, string together words that can honor these loved ones - to share with others
the joy and comfort they bring to me, to pass along the bounty that so freely
has been laid at my feet, the most precious gifts of friendship, attention,
camaraderie, intimacy, shared sorrow and bliss. Never before have I imagined
the giddiness in my gut of another's birthday; these days I realize it - make
it real and tangible inside me - and it is growing like those green offerings
on trees outside my cottage.
I went outside a while ago to pay homage to those
new crisp accordion-pleated leaves…it was almost palpable, the feeling of
growth and life that each leaf carries within it. It is an unseen miracle, the
invisible juicy life energy that will slowly encourage the lengthening,
thinning, enlarging of each leaf. I went outside to touch one of these alder
leaves, but I ended up touching many. I held them between my fingers, caressing
and running my fingers along the ridges and valleys of each pleat. As I did so,
I felt a prayer rise to my lips: part gratitude, awe and wonder; it was also
part entreaty to whatever it is that causes trees, people, cherry blossoms to
grow and cycle through life with vigor. I asked that I be able to rise to the
occasion, to offer in turn to others those blessings I so readily receive from
the spring birthday-ers in my life.
It only seems right to add love from love, to offer
compassion in the face of compassion-received, to greet others with the same
bounty of grace that my loved ones offer to me. Besides, I can hardly stand not
to: I am overflowing with the goodness
that my loved ones’ beautiful lives bestow on me…the oceans of blessings I
receive become waves running over me onto others. (If we cannot at least pass
on love from love, how will we ever learn to pass on love in the face of
adversity?) I am awash with the spirit of celebration and I have found myself
greeting strangers and acquaintances yesterday and today out of that vibrancy. Beauty
begets beauty, love begets love, and wholeness flows even through the
interstices of pain so that those who feel fragmented, hurt, fearful are made
more complete as the salty ocean’s water cleanses them, too.
Perhaps now, you could take a moment and reflect on
those who fill you: offer up gratitude for
them, and to them…and then pass along
the bounty to others on your path today. Many new spring leaves, abundant
blessings from loved ones, cyclical waves of gratitude and compassion rising
like the tide…
All blog photographs taken by Jennifer J. Wilhoit unless otherwise noted.
