Fast moving clouds-Gray to Light
A bit of glow from the sun is shining through our huge windows; dark grey clouds are quickly moving across the sky, soon to swallow the ray of sunshine. I can hear a bit of rain on the window. The grey and rain outside remind me so much of the grey and angst in our news. The election season is taking it’s toll on many of us and it is hard to see the sun peeking through the clouds. Our lives are busy and too often we are way over scheduled.
I woke this morning feeling a bit grey and thought, “No! stop! No grey feelings are allowed.” As I waited to make breakfast, I checked my email and sat in the glow of the “happy light”. Soon, after a short period of looking at Facebook and my mail, I remembered; I have a choice. We choose to be busy and sometimes activities and life seem like one big traffic jam. Stress ensues because we do not take needed moments of pause. But, we do have a choice within those grey and stress-filled days.
For me, the past few months have been that roller coaster of ups and downs. Dear friends have died and we have moved house. I think back on what was, to me, a gathering and celebration of a lifetime, the culmination of a man’s life’s work. The memorial celebration of Gregg Smith’s life was beautiful beyond words. As it is raining outside, I pause, exhale, and remember the glorious sounds of well over one hundred singing the music that Gregg either arranged or composed. This was music all of us Gregg Smith Singers (GSS), a small ensemble of 17 singers, had sung many, many times. Imagine 70 of these singers joining to celebrate this man who meant so much to us all. What a thrill! Members of the congregation said we sounded the same as the small group – all in tune and singing as one, just as we had all been trained. One former singer said he had not noticed the congregation because he was so busy listening to those around him, enabling his sound to fit into theirs. When I read his comment I realized that was what I had been doing as well. This is exactly how Gregg Smith trained us.
This morning I have recommited myself; I choose to take the time to notice and accentuate that which is positive. I will remember there is much to celebrate. The clouds continue to roll by and the sun peeks through to form light grey and white openings. In these times when it is so easy to feel negative and worry for the future, it is all the more important to notice the beautiful present and look with anticipation for that small ray of sunshine coming through the greyness. It is there. At the end of all of our concerts, especially tour concerts, we exited the hall singing a round, this beautiful Navaho prayer set to music by Gregg Smth. This will be my mantra today.
“Now I walk in beauty.
Beauty is before me.
Beautiy is behind me.
Above and below me.”_ Navaho Prayer