Happy New Year.
As we canoed through the everglades, at one point, we set down our oars and let ourselves drift with the tide. i noticed that it was quiet. So quiet that I could hear myself breathe. I could hear fish jump in and out of water. I still think they were the manatees :). In this wonderful eco-system of mangroves and salt and fresh water, a world lived unseen to human eye, camouflaged by murky waters. You could tell much, I had read, by simply looking at the colour of the water. A whole sustaining universe, and my oars paddling though, the only sound.
Resolution #1: To talk less and listen more. Listen to the sounds of silences.
This is my friend. The tree outside my house. A picture taken last spring. I love this picture.It says "Smile, Spring is just around the corner." It fills me with hope. For the same reason I loved Barack Obama speech today. It made me optimistic.
Resolution#2: To keep on believing.
We had planned a trip to Miami and the Keys. I knew what we were going to do each day. One of the days was "planned to chill and take it easy". As in most predictable stories, the unpredictable happened. I can cross my heart and say that everything that I had not planned for was the best part of the trip. Like the sunset in this picture.
Resolution#3: To let go.
So this year I am going to put down the oars and stop battling the tide. I am going to drift along with life for a while. And while I do that, I am going to stretch my legs out, enjoy the scenery, fill myself with hope and listen to the sounds of silence.