I got schooled by a cloud today
I had profound moment with a cloud this morning.
I was driving to an appointment after dropping my son at school. Life has been hard the last few weeks. Teenagers. Marriage. Trying to make writing work as a new career. And as the next winter storm rolls into the area, I found myself feeling very heavy-hearted.
The grey sky laden with clouds. The wind. The traffic. Everything seemed heavier than usual. And closer in, hemming me in, and leaving me feeling stuck.
And then the simplest thing happened.
I looked up.
Out my window. Out of my car, away from my small life, and into the sky above me.
I realized with a start that the grey clouds were moving, and quite swiftly. Across the sky, blown by the same wind that was tousling the treetops and pressing the grass to the ground. That heavy, grey, impeccable thing outside was actually mobile. And in that moment I heard all the teachings -
Nothing is static
Nothing is solid
Everything is temporary, fleeting
This sadness I feel is not solid
This anger I feel is not solid
It will pass and the next thing will arrive, and it too will drift away
That heavy, grey, impeccable thing outside
was actually mobile
The sky, ever present, holds our thoughts like the clouds. Clouds pass through but are not the sky. Thoughts pass through but are not our self. There’s nothing to do, nothing to fix. Just this. This moment. This breath.
No need to feel alone, or stuck. Just breathe. Trust. It will be alright. All is well. Trust everything.
Was it grace? Was it God? Was it just a cloud?
Yes and No to all the above.
Doesn’t matter.
In that moment with the cloud I can see it differently, even if just for this moment.
