Living The Glad Life

November 5, 2013

Living the Glad Life

Sometimes trying to live a glad life takes you places where you are not quite comfortable.  This morning I am riding The Crescent from Birmingham, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana. My train car is half full, so almost all of us have window seats.  Fall in the South is a wonder to behold and I’m excited about the next seven hours and the wash of color that awaits me.

This is not my usual mode of travel, but I decided to listen to that adventuresome spirit that I have tried so hard to ignore for half a century, to experience something new and different: a solo trip on a train. I’m headed to a conference on dyslexia, so it’s a useful trip, too.  I can’t change all of my stripes at the same time.

I recently read about a great experiment of awareness that asked me to place my hands in my lap in my usual way. For me that was right hand over left.  To feel that then to take my hands away from each other, experience that and then to place them in my lap again in the opposite position.   Which felt more natural? Which felt more alive? What was more alive, even a little uncomfortable?  For me, I felt a little off when my hands were not in their usual position.  It did make me feel more alive and aware.  I’m hoping the same from this trip.

“You came and sang a song over me.”

“Feels like I’m living now, for the very first time.  Feels like I’m breathing, Feels like I’m moving, for the very first time.”

Third Day “Born Again” from their Revelation album.

Mornings in Birmingham, July

Mornings In Birmingham

Awake, Get Ready (for all)

Toothbrush, Make-up (make up what?)

Layers of clothing

Matching shoes

Cell phone into leather bag

Computer, power cord

Into larger leather bag

And coffee, did I say coffee?

First and foremost

Don’t forget the coffee

And readings,

Don’t forget your readings

Proverbs,

And Psalms,

And “Jesus Calling”

And that book on courage.

I am ready,

Ready to drive to the hospital

And sit

And be.

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.
Henry Van Dyke

There is so much to be happy about.  The snow came to our town today.  It covered our roof and our green grass and the red birds flew from feeders to trees in quick bursts of joy.  It was cold, very cold for our Southern state, but my youngest and I gathered firewood and stacked it inside, ready for a real winter weather day.  Then the snow stopped, and the sun came out.  Clear blue skies made the snow blinding white on the lawn.  

Maybe because it was so unusual, it made us feel magical for awhile, like we were living in a storybook, or a play.  We laughed and we giggled and we were happy.
The End