Birthday Wish

 

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When I was little every time we drove by a hay truck I would make a wish, eyes closed tight, breath held, words uttered to myself almost as if in prayer.

I could not pass a dandelion, whose vibrant color had tuned to seed, without stooping to pick it, fill my lungs with hope, and with a whiff of air, send the weightless particles of the blowball into the atmosphere along with my wish.

Tunnels were akin to a wishing well too, if one was out in front of us, my mother would turn her head and say, “Here comes a tunnel, get your wishes ready.” I can still picture the dark inside the carved out passage zipping past us as the car barreled through, the loss of oxygen competing with whatever hidden desire was chanting in my head and as soon as we broke back out into the light of day, the chorus of puffed air that filled the car between my sibling and me signaled our collective confidence that our dreams would soon come true.

Birthdays cakes of course bring promise of wishes being realized–all the candles glowing–begging me to extinguish them in exchange for a request.

But this year rather than a wish for my birthday I am choosing an intention, an actual laid out plan to achieve my pursuit of internal and external harmony.

Harmony in music is a point where all notes coalesce—if applied to my life then multiple facets of it are not just tossed to chance, there must be deliberate steps, a goal which by design affords me the ability to strike the right notes and live with intention.

What does that look, sound, feel, and taste like? It is many things—and I will bet that it will evolve—but, here goes:

• Approach each day with an appreciative heart—remain grateful for;  a loving marriage, healthy engaged children, a sweet dog, safety, a body that moves and is disease and (mostly) pain free, friends near and far, a home that provides a sanctuary of sorts, freedom to express myself, work that has meaning, purpose and brings me joy.
• Opportunities to be with nature will abound —I will sleep under a star lit sky often, walk miles of our coast line, be still enough to hear the call of birds, be awake when the sun graces us with another day filled with warmth and light. Find less concrete, more dirt under the soles of my shoes…or walk shoeless on sand, booted on rocks…all of it.
• Practice nourishing both body and soul by design—
• The body—plan meals ahead, buy local, remember cloth bags, use fresh ingredients, and plant something edible in a pot.
• The soul—what I choose to fill my mind with is a choice. Seek out individuals who are actively making a difference, involved, doing. Attract people who are committed to living an examined life.
• Read, sing, stretch, meditate, run, walk, laugh, cry, smile, volunteer and be generous. Cultivate and grow the spirit of abundance—lift up others and celebrate what they offer.

I will be in the present…allowing the moment to simply unfold and exist because it is now, a gift of time, that as soon as it passes, will be a memory made richer for the living sewn into it.