“You have an appointment with life, an appointment that is with the here and now.” Thich Nhat Hanh
So complex a statement, so much to unwind. Indeed, reflecting on it, my glances at my Outlook calendar are heavily weighed to the past (to figure out what I did, when) and to the future (when I am supposed to be where and what I am supposed to do, then). It becomes easy to let the present slip away, easy to forget to be in the here and now because I am busy looking back and forward.
The lesson (not a new one, but one that needs repeating) is encapsulated in this passage from Hanh:
“ How can you love if you are not here? A fundamental condition of love is your own presence. In order to love you must be here. That is certain. Fortunately, being here is not a difficult thing to accomplish. It is enough to breathe and let go of thinking or planning. Just come back to yourself, concentrate on you breath, and smile. You are here, body and mind together. You are here, alive, completely alive. This is a miracle.”
Indeed, a miracle.
It occurs to me... 