And the Chimes Hung Quietly Above me... Listening...

What a lovely day it is. Are you all tired of hearing about how happy I am yet? But, I am, you know--so at peace. I just had the most wonderful communion with my trees this morning. They are teaming with life. They were so still this morning - the trees -- not the life within them -- their branches reaching for the beautiful, blue back drop above them - their tops inner twining their leaves with the fingers of the white wispy clouds above. So still - a gentle movement occasionally as a stray breeze slips through tousling their leaves gently. I sigh, remembering that touch -- hands caressing my hair - a sensual moment in time.

We began to listen and watch - me sitting on my back stoop and my chimes hanging there above so quietly. It was like we were both holding our breath - eavesdropping on nature - careful not to disturb the natural beauty and quietness. Listening for each individual sound and movement of life living in the shelter of those beautiful leaves. Some of the leaves are changing color now - falling - floating silently to the ground - no going out screaming and crying for them -- just a gentle letting go. A yellow butterfly fluttered by unaware of its own natural beauty. There was the squawk of the "watch bird" flying overhead with his/her silver tipped tail spread for all the world to see - if the world is watching -- but it doesn't matter - it soars on loudly calling out for anyone who cares to listen. And if you sit quietly long enough, you can see each individual bird moving about -resting momentarily on a branch -- brown - red -black - grey birds -- each one singing its own song. You can hear it, you know - when you are quiet - the individual tune of each bird as it all blends together into one lovely song. I don't know the names of these birds - their nationality -- they are just birds with a song of their own, but I absorb the blending of their message.

Ah, and the background singers to my left, the tree frogs sing bass with the tenor section on my right. A squirrel plays leap frog through the branches unaware that he is high above the ground with no safety net. A gorgeous movie of life playing right in front of my eyes, and the chimes hang quietly above my head.

God I love it! So yes, I am happy and I will say it again and again and again. It doesn't mean I will never shed another tear because I will you know, because tears cleanse the soul when it gets overburdened with its humanness.

And then when the time is right - the breeze will move the chimes and they will tinkle to the rhythm of the universe; and my heart will sing a song of delight, the birds will each have their individual tune, the angels will harmonize, and the tree frogs will play background. It will be a glorious sound - as we all sing together -- our individual songs-- and all Heaven and Earth will sway in Universal movement to the sound of one song -- and the song is JOY.

I struggled through the tears to the end of the rainbow and guess what? There was no pot of gold - just pure unadulterated joy! That's where I am now, and it is wonderful. (Ilene Madrigal 2005)