December has worn her drab gray dress every day. OK, maybe she jazzed up with some weak yellow sunshine occasionally when she felt festive. But mostly she’s just dulled us with mono color.
This is nothing new here in the Upper Peninsula. She’s a winter princess, our December, and she likes to blend into the woods suggesting again and again that it’s we humans who must open our eyes and find the color of what’s true.
You can stare out the window and think drab, drab, drab. Nothing to see out there. Yawn. So lackluster.
But sometimes we’re urged outside to play hide and seek. To see if it’s possible to find spirit peeking and poking out of muted backgrounds. To find what’s hidden in plain sight.
Everyone who consciously decides to play this game does it in different ways. Perhaps we want to document stories. Or what’s-happening-now. Or nature’s revelations. Or to illustrate a blog. To send photos to friends and family. To express art. Or beauty. The pull toward seeking can nudge us out of routines, schedules, habits.
Come, come, Spirit calls.
When I consciously play hide and seek, I am looking for something. It’s always there; now where is it?
What is spirit to me? you ask. What the heck you talkin’ about this spirit?
Spirit is suchness.
Spirit is beingness.
Spirit is aliveness.
Spirit is Presence.
Sometimes it’s energy.
Mostly it’s a felt-sense in my body that says: I AM.
The texture of bark–felt inside like–oh, gosh, words are deserting me. It’s life presenting itself as holy. It’s life saying–this is who I AM.
I AM bark.
I AM chickadee silhouetted perfectly in snow. Single red oak leaf dusted by snow crystals. A log being itself, perfectly round, centered hole. Bark–the feel of tree skin. A single deer hoof. Patterned snow atop spruce.
Listening deeply to what FEELS holy in the body. How Spirit is talking through its creations.
Sometimes wordlessly sensing the unity. That we are all the I AM. We are all uniquely SUCH.
THIS is what I AM.
Seeking what’s alive, what’s now, what’s reaching out in feeling–and finding it.
Because it’s always here. Always around. Always shining its spirit light through life. It says: I am here even in grayness. Even in darkness. Even in hopelessness.
Come play hide and seek with me, says Spirit. Seek and ye shall find.
Day 73 of a seventy-five day journey to connect more deeply with God, Spirit, Holy, Love…to explore “What the Heart Knows” during the waning days of 2020.
Lake Superior Spirit 
How many times have I walked out into the little wood and or park during December as well as the next two months that follow; with my camera, now with my phone wondering what I would see there. Learning to have no expectations yet allowing myself just to Be. Be present, in the Presence of Spirit, Nature Sprit. The Oneness all around. It’s there, and you have captured IT wondrously.
As I walked to the store yesterday evening 5:30 or so, It was dark, yet the almost full moon came out of hiding behind the clouds as I walked across the bridge above the lake. There in the lightly shimmering water was the clouds lit by the moon… while the Moon dance around the clouds, well truly the clouds dance before Goddess moon to brighten my path up the side walk, brightened my heart with the sense of who I am within the ONEness
Jeff, isn’t that key to this? Having no expectation, just looking around, being. How wonderful that you experienced that goddess of a full moon last night and she so spoke to your spirit. I can feel that YOU were shining along with that moon!
It does get difficult this time of year…but so worth it! Your photos are lovely!
So darn gray, Cindy! We did have sun for a little while today; that was heavenly. Seems like I saw Beaver Island in a winter advisory or storm warning recently? Anyway thanks for enjoying the photos.
Lovely, dear one…
Thank you, dear Susan! ❤
Chickadee!!! I’m loving the December moments you found, the leaf, the holy log, the bark, the deer footprint, the spruce needles… The wordless perfection of Presence. 💙
Don’t we love those little chickadees, Barbara? 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed these moments of Presence. I enjoy them at your blog, too.
I felt that right through, Kathy
I love that you use the language of feeling, Leelah.
Oh gosh – I love all these photos, Kathy. I am always watching and waiting for what unfolds, because even if I’ve passed a certain way 100’s of times, Nature manages to make the scene and the experience fresh and new.
Thank you, Barb. It was fun taking the camera out again–even though the mind said there would be nothing there. I know you are so attuned to nature and watching what is unfolding in each new moment. ❤
Winter is my favorite season. People say it’s because I live in the South where the sun shines, the jays frolic, the poules d’eau cackle, the tableaux are painted in all colors of the rainbow. I say it’s because of the calming of the spirit. Hush. XOXO
That is a lovely reason to love winter, Stacy. The calm hush of it. But you must tell–what are poules d’eau cackle? I’m intrigued!
A poule d’eau (French for water chicken) is nothing more than what the rest of the country calls a coot. They come here to winter and they sound like cackling hens.
Hmmm, well I don’t think we have water chickens here–and have never heard of a coot before either. You have taught me something today!
They are a goofy bird – black with a white beak – but part of the charm of winter. (Google them. I think you’ll love them, too.)
Yes, I googled! I think they’re sweet and would like to hear them cackle.
I’ll try to record their sound. 😉
Cool!
I loved your game of hide and seek today, Kathy! Of course I spotted your gorgeous little chickadee immediately and oh, what a sweet little bird it is! And those deer prints in the snow – amazing! There’s definitely plenty to see in your “drab” snow. It’s just depends on whose eyes are looking. As you know, it doesn’t snow here, so to see snow is a thrill in itself! And the trees, and your different birds, and knowing there are deers living in your woods … it’s all so thrilling to me! My spirit would be easily pleased in your woods, just as I’m sure yours would be in my sun. 🙂
Isn’t that the truth, Joanne? It just depends on how we look–there really is plenty to see even in the gray drabness of winter. I am smiling that you’re thrilled! I also might keep in mind that there are people like you who do not see this kind of landscape every day–and that it can be thrilling for fresh new eyes to see what’s revealed. Would love to be in your sun (and rain!) as well.
Lovely captures and reflections. There is always something enchanting in nature 💕
There is indeed, Val. Thank you for pausing to look with me here.
I love how tender this post is. Thank you. What do you think, do we seek the holy or do we let it come to us?
Oh, how tender of you to say that! And it is so synchronistic that you ask this question right now for many reasons. My answer is this: both/and. It seems like there’s a paradox here where we humans make an effort and surrender. A teacher once described this as the center of the cross. Life is moving through us and embraces both. And our minds (at least mine) can’t figure out that koan. But the heart knows…
Hide and seek is always so much fun. Thank you for sharing your version of it. ❤
You are welcome. Now–tag! You’re it. (Running away and hiding. Lol. Happy New Year, Robin!
This is really lovely. Spirit in all things and us. Beautiful and true, Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, LaDonna! Glad you enjoyed and paused to share your appreciation.