Love Surrounds Us

G'day mates! If you are new to reading my blog I recommend that you start by clicking on my 2013 November post My Journey: The Beginning and go from there. If you have already been following my posts here we go! I am so grateful to have all of you here with me.

A few days ago I took a one night trip up to Ojai to visit the river and campout for the night and head to the beach in Ventura and surf in the morning.  The night we set up our campsite was the same day that our clocks were set ahead one hour.  As the moon rose we could feel the magical energy of the universe in the air.  The moon seemed like a bright light shining down upon us and the clouds were like large vertebra streaked across the sky.

The next morning I woke up to a conference of birds.  They had so much to say that Monday morning, as the sun rose over the mountain.  There were so many different kinds of birds chirping the sunlight into the day.  This one night campout was a mini trip with a new friend.  I enjoy having a new friend in my life that helps cultivates the lessons in life I am learning about myself, relationships, friendships, the universe, and our lives.  There have been times that I would get nervous to bring new people into my life in a fully trusting way.  But one aspect of building a new friendship I am learning to look into is that as long as I am continuing to embrace and love myself as well as not neglecting my time alone, and sustaining to seek out my journey of education, life and healing; that it is wonderful to include others in our lives and sustain old friendships and create new ones, as long as we also include a deep relationship with ourself inside and out.  We must also recognize that similar to the challenges that arise within us in our relationship with ourself, there was also challenges that arise in our friendships, and as long as they unfold into a deeper and stronger positive growth we are on a beautiful path.

After the birds woke me up in the morning, I decided to go for a walk, following  the stream.  As I walked, I saw stone after stone after stone that was in the shape of a heart. I was amazed and enthralled. It instilled into me that nature is a true healer and a master of sending us life changing messages, if we can open our eyes, ears, heart and soul to whats directly around us. We tend to overlook what lies right in front of us, by always seeking and searching out whats ahead and in the future.  Seeing heart shaped stones everywhere, was a reminder to me that love is everywhere surrounding us and to embrace being in the moment and feel that the love within and around us is the true beauty in life.  We must not spend our whole life wishing the moment away, seeking out love and happiness from others, or from a different house, or a different job, or a significant other etc...We must appreciate and be grateful for the love we have for ourselves, the beauty and love that nature gives to us and standing in the moment.  Life is beautiful.

On the way back from my walk, I saw a pine tree that was cut.  I started to count the rings of the tree. The tree was about the same age as my father, which caused me to remember that it was my father that taught me about counting the age of trees and about survival in nature, as well as cherishing what nature offers to us.

Its amazing how we may not always think about what was instilled upon us in our youth and how powerful our childhood is in the way we are effected as we grow older.  We may learn from it that we must seek out a different light than the one that was shown upon us as children, and/or we may also learn to brighten the light that has been with us all along.  My father truly has shown the light of the guidance of nature being our true healer and true teacher upon me.

"Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet." -Thich Nhat Hanh