October has arrived! This weekend in Albuquerque brings one of the most photographed events in the world, the International Balloon Fiesta. The skies will be filled with an unimaginable array of colors and shapes as hundreds of hot air balloons rise in succession and float across the city. If you are in Albuquerque, there's no way to ignore them; you simply have to stop, and look upward. If you ever longed to recapture the joy of childhood wonder--no matter how brief--let those balloon work their magic. Yes, the traffic and influx of travelers can be vexing, so look up. Rise above it all. For those not in New Mexico this year, myself included, there are many videos online that offer a sprinkling of balloon magic.
I open this post with the Balloon Fiesta, to counter the worldwide tension of this month. There are heavy happenings in the world right now, with war escalation in the Middle East, the disastrous flooding of Hurricane Helene and more storms and floods on the horizon, as we come to grasp climate change. We are on the cusp now of a divisive election that adds to a collective uncertainty across the globe--all the more reason to look up and around for October's gifts. This morning in meditation, I heard one single bird exquisitely announcing the clear day. My mind told me it was signaling nearby birds, but my heart said his song was to me, with only a prefabricated wall of separation between us. It was a reminder of the interconnected web of life we share.
When we can realize and accept that we have what we personally need, it is natural to share and support others; right action flows out of us, like bird song. Life taking care of life is not just a transcendental or abstract thing; it includes our personal lives, and our collective care. It includes the realm of prayer support, the realm of forgiveness even in the faee of meanness and other trespasses. It includes as well, feet on the ground action, showing up, giving, sharing. What unites you to the world around you? What isolates you? To give in these ways really requires that we are a part of the Whole. So look up, above and beyond your usual frame. Even if you are far from a balloon filled sky, or your vision is physically obscured, sweep beyond the frame.
When I was twenty, I attended a University retreat for educators in Houston, held at a lovely monastery with a quadrant court yard. I was very focused on academics, but I met someone who wanted to talk about spiritual matters. Standing in the courtyard with a cloudy sky overhead, my new friend challenged me with, "Look around you, look at that sky, how can feel this is all there is to the world and there is nothing beyond all of this?" I looked up.In that moment there was a loud thunderclap and a powerful lightning bolt flashed across the sky above me. Then that light burst open my thought structure. I entered my Path. Don't underestimate the sky or the bird outside singing, or the bloom at your doorstep. Spiritual windows are everywhere today. Look up! Look around! (Susan Nettleton)
for poetry: https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/.../WhyINeedBird/index.html https://poets.org/poem/more-loving-one https://literatureapp.com/sylvia-plath/balloons https://allpoetry.com/A-lightning-flash