During times of not knowing there can be wonder.
During hard times there can be joy.
During times of incivility there can be kindness.
And showing up here and there through all that we live through is goodness.
Perhaps goodness appears in the tiniest, almost missed way or maybe such that it becomes a cape, a cloak that wraps itself around us.
When I closed my eyes last night, after a disheveled, disconcerting, confusing day, I invited sleep to show up.
Putting sleep off for a few moments, goodness came first, wanting to be the one to usher in sleep.
Goodness stayed for the night, weaving its way through my dreams. It woke me up this morning.
It was there with the sunrise shining in the window and asked me to stay at its well a while longer.
It asked me to not rush into the day, to not break its presence by tapping into all the news and other posts.
It asked me to leave that hand held rectangular screen dark. All that shows up on it will still be there later and if anyone needs me I will get a call.
Goodness asked me to dip in again and again to what it wants to give up to me today.
It all began with a strawberry.
For some reason as I was hoping to fall fast asleep a childhood memory came along.
My father grew strawberries for some years before the deer finally got the best of the above ground plants in the garden.
June is the big strawberry month in that part of the country and the memory that flooded in was of picking, sorting, and eating…well, maybe picking, eating a few, then picking again and sorting the berries, free of chemicals or preservatives.
The goodness of the taste, the goodness of a trickle of juice down my chin, the goodness of fresh strawberry shortcake with real cream and sugar. So, so, so, so good!
The goodness of the land, the goodness of my father growing food for us and to share with others as he’d leave a bag by someone’s car on a Sunday morning, the goodness of my mother getting out her big wooden bread board and floury cloth to make fresh biscuits for the shortcake, biscuits that were moist and deliciously creamy on their own.
As I drifted off to sleep covered in a blanket of goodness, I began to think about all its facets, all its layers, the small, sweet strawberry memory a great big prompt.
I have asked goodness to be my companion, my guide, not only for today but for the rest of June. It intentionally visited to invite me to dip at its deep, deep well.
I invite you to join me here.
Much is being written about joy.
Much is being written about kindness.
I want to create a trio by writing about goodness.
As we embrace the intention to live with these as companions and guides, more spectacular qualities of conscious living will join in.
Soon we will create an entire symphony that will accompany us, support us, encourage us, and fill our souls.
We will extend the nourishment to others and invite them to taste transformative ways of being in this world.
Thank you, goodness, for showing up in the form of a strawberry last night. I am curious to see how you continue to you show up today. Maybe even chocolate covered.
1 Comment. Leave new
This is so beautiful, Dawn! I love your strawberry meditation, and the adding of “goodness” to joy and kindness. It is wonderful to bask in your presence this way, even though you now live far away (relatively speaking). Keep on going–you are doing such important work, GOOD work in the sense of spreading goodness.